Day 6 of Pro Panja League Season 2 saw Kiraak Hyderabad significantly strengthen their position on the leaderboard, driven by exceptional performances across both undercard and main card participation. Co-founded by Parvinn Dabass and Preeti Jhangiani, the Pro Panja league’s second season continues to showcase not only the dominance of skilled athletes like Kiraak Hyderabad’s Stewe Thomas who shattered records with a lightning-fast 0.11-second win but also highlights the vital role of the specially-abled category. This was exemplified by Sher E Ludhiana’s Harish Verma, who achieved a crucial victory, underscoring the inclusivity and diverse talent celebrated within the Pro Panja League.
In the undercard opening fixture of the tournament, Kiraak Hyderabad delivered a commanding performance against MP Hathodas. The action began in the heavyweight division (100KG+) where Ujjwal Aggarwal of Kiraak Hyderabad set the tone for his team with a dominant 2-0 victory over Shamir Khan of MP Hathodas, showcasing superior technique and control. The momentum took a twist in the 55KG category as Arya P of MP Hathodas demonstrated exceptional strategy to secure clean 2-0 win against Savita Kumari of Kiraak Hyderabad, maintaining MP Hathodas first win in today’s undercard fixture 1 round. The undercard fixture concluded with Jincy Jose of Kiraak Hyderabad completely whitewashing Asha Kumar of MP Hathodas, in the 65KG+ category, securing a composed 2-0 score performance establishing Kiraak as early favorites.
The second fixture of the day saw Sher-E-Ludhiana emerge victorious against Mumbai Muscle, though they faced stiffer resistance throughout the contest. Kashmiri Kashyap of Sher E Ludhiana opened proceedings with authority in the 65KG+ category, securing a solid 2-0 victory over Seema Goswami of Mumbai Muscle through superior positioning. The special category (SPA CAT) match followed, where Mohan Sharma of Sher E Ludhiana maintained the winning streak with another 2-0 triumph against Shrimant Jha of Mumbai Muscle, demonstrating technical proficiency and mental toughness under pressure. The second fixture's final bout proved to be the most thrilling encounter of the day, as Harish Verma of Sher e Ludhiana was pushed to his limits by a resilient Krishna Sharma in the SPA-CAT division. After dropping the opening round, Verma showed tremendous character and determination to battle back, ultimately prevailing 2-1 in a contest that showcased the competitive spirit and skill level of both wrestlers. This hard-earned victory sealed a 6-1 result for Sher-E-Ludhiana.
Kiraak Hyderabad's dominance
On the main card, Kiraak Hyderabad truly set the stage alight with a pair of remarkable performances against MP Hathodas. Kiraak Hyderabad’s Aabhas Rana kicked off the main card bouts in in 100 kg + participation securing a decisive 3-0 victory over KIMKIMA of MP Hathodas. This clean sweep not only earned Kiraak Hyderabad the standard three points but also bagged an additional two bonus points for the flawless victory, contributing 5-0 score to the team's victory. The momentum continued when Stewe Thomas stepped up for the Challenger Round against Surender Saini of MP Hathodas in 70 kg participation. With incredible speed, Stewe Thomas executed a lightning fast pin defeating Surender Saini of MP Hathodas in a stunning 0.11 seconds, replacing Satnam Singh's previous record of 0.2 seconds. This superfast performance secured a resounding 10-0 victory in the Challenger Round, significantly elevating Kiraak Hyderabad's position on the leaderboard. In the last round of main card 90 kg category participation, Avilie Zuyie dominated MP Hathodas Ayush Negi’s laborious efforts as Avilie picked up additional two bonus points resulting in a 5-0 score pick for Kiraak Hyderabad’s victory.
In the highly anticipated final main card 100 kg + category participation, the clash between Dilshad Ma of Sher e Ludhiana and Paarth Soni of Mumbai Muscles delivered the drama and intensity. The match began with Dilshad applying immediate pressure, establishing an aggressive pace that initially seemed to favor the experienced competitor. However, Paarth Soni demonstrated remarkable composure scoring a hard earned 3-1 victory against his opponent while scoring well for Mumbai Muscles. In the second round of main card fixture 2, Sachin Tomar of Shere Ludhiana was given a tough beat as Ashish Mehta of Mumbai Muscle gave a powerhouse performance securing 10-0 score in the 60kg clash. In the final match of main card event, Senebi Syngkli of Sher E Ludhiana vs Teja PJ of Mumbai Muscle had an interesting bout in the 55 kg participation, where each arm wrestler secured a point in first and second round of the clash. In the final two rounds Senebi bagged two additional points securing 3-1 for Sher E Ludhiana.
The entire second season of the Pro Panja League is being held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, making it one of the few tier-2 centres to host back-to-back franchise-based leagues. The tournament commenced on August 5th at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Training Centre for Disability Sports, with Mumbai Muscle currently leading the points table. The league is dedicated to promoting arm wrestling in India and providing a platform for professional competition. Indian Fans can stream Pro Panja Season 2 on Sony Sports 3, DD Sports and Fancode
