DEOLALI CAMP: Pune wrestler and runner-up Maharashtra Kesari Popat Bodke lifted the prestigious Sansari Kesari mace by beating Kolhapur’s Munna wrestler who was Indore Kesari, in a keenly contested thrilling 17-minute title bout during the wrestling championship held at Sansari. Wrestling bouts, which have been closed for the past two years during the pandemic, have resumed this year.
The thrilling wrestling bouts with prizes ranging from Rs. 51 up to Rs. 51,000 lasted for seven hours. The event was organised at Sansari village with the inspiration of former MP late Rajabhau Godse and under the guidance of MP Hemant Godse.
This was the first time that the prize money was increased and famous wrestlers were present at the village level. Along with men wrestlers, 35 women also participated in this event. Wrestling fans had thronged the village.
This time the Kata wrestling between Dharma Shinde of Manmad and Vijay Duble of Malegaon was eye-catching. Wrestlers from Kolhapur, Pune, Chandwad, Manmad, Sinnar, Igatpuri, Balaiduri, Yeola, Nashik, Trimbakeshwar, Dindori, Niphad, Malegaon, Deola, Konkanpatti, Girnare, Dhondegaon, Ladchi, Waghera, Dugaon, Bhagur, Padhurli, Shivada, Sakur Fata, Shenit and Aurangabad participated, Vishnupant Thakre, Murali Katare, Ramesh Dhole, Suneet Godse, Anandrao Godse, Harichandra Bhade, Vinayak Kadale and others were the judges for the event.
Earlier, a grand procession of all the wrestlers was taken out from the temple of Lord Hanuman. The pujan of the wrestling arena and distribution of prizes was done by MP Godse. On the occasion, Maharaj Birmani, Deepak Balkawade, Keshav Porje, Jagdish Godse, Dattu Sujgure, Uttam Dalvi of Wrestling Council and National champion Captain Ramdas Surude were present.
