HYDERABAD: Youths attracted to ‘Kushti’ these days are of a different type. Unlike in the past when the legacy was passed down the generations, ‘kushti’ fans of today are more of the gym-going kind; youngsters doing Intermediate, graduation and even professional courses are taking a liking for the Akhada.
Osman Bin Abdullah, 17, an Intermediate student from Chandrayangutta, has bagged a few championships already. “It’s all about dedication and hard work. The more hours you spend practising the better you are placed in a competition,” he says.
Post-graduation student M. A. Wadood is another fan of the sport. “Apart from remaining fit, kushti keeps you away from habits like smoking and gutka,” says the youngster who has been taking regular coaching for the last six months at the Baoums Taleem in Barkas.
Sportsman Jaffer Ahmed, who practises in the same Akhada, says the term ‘pahelwan’ has gained notoriety as a muscled goon over time, although the word reffered to one who practices the Indian style of wrestling. “People equate it with a rowdy sheeter, but that was never the case,” he says. He decided to take up wrestling seriously after watching a few local competitions.
