In spite of the Orissa Grappling Association (OGA) formed only in the recent past, the state grapplers have created a niche for themselves in the national scenario. The grapplers finished with three medals in the National Grappling Championships which concluded last week at Rohtak. OGA secretary, Hari Prasad Patnaik (popularly known as Kato) talked about the prospects of the sport in the state with Rajendra Prasad Mohapatra. Excerpts…
There is a lot of similarity between wrestling and grappling. How does one differentiate between the two?
Grappling is technically known as ‘submission wrestling’. In wrestling, take downs and throws fetch points. But in grappling, you need to have your opponent pinned for a minimum of 30 seconds to earn points. The grappler can assume control over his opponent with an arm bar or apply the choke with the help of his ankle, belly or elbow. Grappling is pretty similar to Jujutsu. The sport was modified in Brazil and America and in its modern form, is known as grappling.
How is the sport being managed?
The World Grappling Federation is managing the sport globally. In India, the onus is on Grappling Federation of India (GFI) to run the sport.
What is the present status of the sport in India?
Grappling so far, has not been recognised as a sport by the Indian government. Also it is still in its nascent stage. GFI has been organising the National Championships for the last eight years. There is every possibility that grappling will be included in the next edition of the Asian Games.
So what prompted you to initiate the sport in Orissa?
We had Orissa Jujutsu Association functioning since the last two years, but without much publicity. Our wrestlers, karatekas and other martial art fighters are doing well nationally and internationally. So we have the potential as all these sports are related to grappling.
As I am managing these sports in the state, I felt like opening up a grappling division. The GFI has also been pressing me to popularise the sport in Orissa. So, with a few other like-minded people, I decided to open an association.
Recently you had a grappling camp in Bhubaneswar? What was the response?
Most of the participants were wrestlers. It was very difficult for them to pick up submission manouvres in only two days. However, visiting coach Saker Saberi from Afghanistan was pretty impressed with the enthusiasm and energy level. We plan to arrange more camps in the future also as the response have been fantastic.
Who could be the potential grapplers from the state?
We have Srikant Sekhar, who won a gold and a silver medal in the recently-concluded Nationals. He is a professional fighter. So he possesses a good knowledge about grappling. Priyadarshini Ghatkari also impressed with her talent by winning a bronze. Saroj Kumar Parida and Debadutta Sethy are also budding talents.
What is the future of the grappling?
There is no future of any sport in the country so long the Indian government doesn’t recognise it. But grappling is popular in the eastern European countries. Also with the US keenly involved in the sport, one can expect that grappling will one day fight for Olympic induction. India have very good wrestlers, so the potential for grappling is huge. But irrespective of its recognition, I reckon that more and more people will be attracted towards it as it is the best mode to burn calories and keep fit.
What are the problems for upcoming grapplers in Orissa?
There are plenty as the sport is still in its nascent stage. We don’t have a proper training place for the grapplers. We are trying to provide them with one at the Utkal Karate School. As we don’t have proper national coaches, we have to rely a lot on foreigners, which is an expensive proposition. Modern equipment for strength training is also indispensible. Despite all these shortcomings, I am quite optimistic that our grapplers will certainly be battle-ready next year.
