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With new stars and old, the third season of the Pro Wrestling League is set to kick off at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in Delhi on 9 January. While all eyes will be on India’s star wrestler and debutant Sushil Kumar, the tournament this year has an impressive line-up of 20 Olympic and World Championships medallists.
Last season debutants Jaipur Ninjas has been disbanded while a new team Vir Maratha will be participating in their first PWL season this year.
Categories for both, men and women, have also been changed this time round. While the men’s 74kg and 97kg have been replaced by 92kg and 125 kg categories, women will be competing in 62kg and 76 kg categories instead of last year’s 58 kg and 75kg.
Teams
Delhi Sultans, Mumbai Maharathi, UP Dangal, NCR Punjab Royals, Haryana Hammers, Vir Maratha
Categories
Men: 57 kg, 65 kg, 74 kg, 92kg, 125 kg
Women: 50 kg, 57 kg, 62 kg, 76 kg
The Quint takes a look at five Indian players to watch out for in PWL 3.
1. Sushil Kumar
Two Olympic medals, years of experience, and gold medal on comeback – there was little, or no reason for Sushil Kumar not to be highly sought after in his first PWL auction. And there were no surprises on 23 December 2017 as the Baprola wrestler attracted a bidding war between all six franchises.
At more than double his base price of Rs 25 Lakh, the 34-year-old grappler earned the highest bid of Rs 55 lakh from Delhi Sultans, and became the most expensive player in the history of the tournament.
Sushil returned to competitive wrestling after more than three years in November last year at the Senior Nationals in Indore where he won a gold medal amid controversy after getting three walkovers from his fellow wrestlers. He then went on to bag a gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship in South Africa, and then qualified for the 2018 CWG in December.
However, the PWL challenger may not be so easy for the grappler as the 74kg weight category that he’s competing in includes former European Champion Jabrayil Hasanov, Olympic medallist Akzhurek Tanatarov, Asian Champion Bekzod Abdurakhmonov, Olympian Jakob Makarashvili and Georgian star Tariel Gaprindashvili.
2. Geeta Phogat
India’s favourite ‘Dangal girl’ Geeta Phogat was bagged by UP Dangal for Rs 28 lakh for the 2018 PWL. The 29-year-old grappler will be competing in the 62 kg category against Mumbai Maharathi’s Sakshi Malik and Sarita Mann of Haryana Hammers.
After her stint in the reality show Khatron ke Khiladi, Geeta returned to the mat with a gold at the All India Police Championship in October and also clinched the yellow metal in the 59kg category at the National Wrestling Championship. She bagged another gold at the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in December, but failed to qualify for the CWG this year after losing to Pooja Dhanda in the trials for the 57kg division.
Geeta had missed out on a berth for the 2016 Rio Olympics because she was suspended by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) after she forfeited her repechage bout in the first Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Ulaanbator, Mongolia in April.
3. Sakshi Malik
India's 2016 Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik was bought by Mumbai Maharathi for Rs 39 lakh in this year’s PWL auction, and will be competing in the same category (62 kg) as her friend Geeta Phogat.
After rising to World No 5 in women's 58kg freestyle rankings in April 2017, the 25-year-old grappler crashed out in the round of 16 at the World Wrestling Championship in August. However, she bagged a gold at the National Championship in November and another one at the Commonwealth Championship the next month.
In December, Malik secured a spot in the 62 kg category of the Indian women’s wrestling squad for this year’s Commonwealth Games.
4. Vinesh Phogat
Joining her elder sister Geeta in UP Dangal will be Vinesh Phogat, who was bagged for Rs 40 lakh in the PWL 3 auction – becoming the costliest Indian grappler after Sushil Kumar. She will also be competing in the 50kg category, with cousin Ritu Phogat from Vir Maratha.
After her campaign-ending injury during the Rio Olympics, Vinesh returned to the mat in May with a silver medal (55kg) at the Asian Wrestling Championship. However, she was knocked out in the round of 16 of the 48 kg category at the World Wrestling Championship.
Vinesh also won golds at the Nationals (55 kg) and then the Commonwealth Wrestling Championship. In December, the 23-year-old qualified for the Commonwealth Games in the 50 kg category.
5. Bajrang Punia
Yogeshwar Dutt might not be participating in this Pro Wrestling League, but one could expect to spot him on the sidelines because of prodigy Bajrang Punia. Twenty-three-year-old Punia who will compete in the 65kg category was bought by UP Dangal for Rs 25 lakh.
He will be up against Olympic champion from Russia Soslan Ramonov, current world champion Haji Aliyev, Rajnish, Bekbulotov Ilias and Amit Dhankad.
Punia won India’s only gold medal at the 2017 Asian Wrestling Champions and clinched a silver at the Under-23 Senior World Championship in November.
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