Pro Panja League
Current season, competition or edition: 2025 Pro Panja League | |
 | |
| Sport | Arm wrestling |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| First season | 2023 |
| Motto | Aapki Kismat, Aapke Haath (Your Fate, Your Hands) Bharat Ka Khel (India's Game) |
| No. of teams | 6 |
| Country | India |
| Most recent champion(s) | Kochi KD's |
| Most titles | Kochi KD's (1 Title) |
| Broadcaster(s) | (Main Card) DD Sports |
| Streaming partner(s) | India: Fancode Worldwide: SportVot |
| Official website | https://propanja.com/ |
| Seasons |
|---|
The Pro Panja League (PPL)[1] is a professional Indian arm wrestling league which had its first season in July 2023. There are separate competition categories for men, women, and specially abled (disabled) players,[2] and the tournament took place at Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi.[3]
History
The name of the tournament is based on "Panja", a word used in the Indian subcontinent to refer to arm wrestling.[4] Starting in 2020, there were some exhibition events, tournaments, and matches held,[5] which acquired about 275 million views on social media.[6] Before the first season, there was a ranking tournament held at Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh,[2] with the top 18 arm wrestlers in each of the 10 weight categories qualifying for the first season.[6] The first season was won by the Kochi KDs.[7]
Rules
League format
Each team plays each other twice during the round-robin stage, and the top four teams enter the playoffs, which consist of two semi-finals (1st vs 4th, 2nd vs 3rd) and a final.
Gameplay
Two players in the same weight category compete to overpower each other and score points over several rounds of a bout. In an "under card/prelim" bout, three rounds are contested, while in a "main card" bout, five rounds are contested. Three under card and three main card bouts take place within a single match, each featuring a different pair of opponents; the team whose players scored more points wins the match. In an under card bout, the player who wins two out of three rounds earns one point, while the loser gains nothing; in a main card bout, players earns one point for every round they win.[8] In the final, five main card bouts are contested.[9]
At the start of each round, the players offer one of their hands while keeping elbows on a specially designed table, with a strap being bound around offered hands to avoid slippage. The players attempt to force their opponent's hand to hit designated touch pads on the table underneath their hands to win the round. There are various rule violations which can result in penalties against players.[10] Two bonus points are gained in main card bout if a player wins without opponent scoring a point (i.e. a 3-0 victory earns 5 points).[8] Bout must be completed within 30 minutes. An additional challenge round can be called in main card bout. The player calling for the challenge round can win five bonus points if they beat opponent within 10 seconds; however, if it fails, the opponent earns five bonus points.[11][8][9]
Teams
Current teams
| Team | City | Debut | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mumbai Muscle | Mumbai, Maharashtra | 2023 | ||
| Kiraak Hyderabad | Hyderabad, Telangana | 2023 | ||
| Jaipur Veers | Jaipur, Rajasthan | 2025 | ||
| Sher-E-Ludhiana | Ludhiana, Punjab | 2025 | ||
| MP Hathodas | Madhya Pradesh | 2025 | ||
| Rohtak Rowdies | Rohtak, Haryana | 2023 | ||
Former teams
| Team | Debut | Dissolved | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kochi KD's | 2023 | 2024 | Season 1 champion |
| Ludhiana Lions | 2023 | 2024 | |
| Rarh Bengal Tigers | 2025 | Dissolved before competing | |
| Baroda Badshahs | 2023 | 2024 |
Six teams compete in the league. 180 players in ten different weight categories were drafted for the first season,[12] with six weight categories reserved for men, three for women, and one for physically challenged participants.[13] The winning team will win ₹2 million (US$24,000), while the runner-up team will win ₹500,000 (US$5,900), with equal money distributed in all categories.[14]
Editions and results
| Year | Final | Venue | Total teams | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | Result | Runners-up | |||
| 2023 | Kochi KD's | 30–28 | Kiraak Hyderabad | Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi | 6 |
| 2025 | TBD | TBD | Jiwaji Club, Gwalior | ||
Broadcasters
Pro Panja League telecasts on Sony Sports Network and DD Sports in India.[3] It also broadcasts on FanCode and SportVot.[15]
See also
References
- ^ Rock, Jay (2020-06-22). "Pro Panja League: Fastest growing Arm Wrestling tournament in the World". Sports India Show. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ a b "Pro Panja League to debut on July 28". Hindustan Times. 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ a b Webdunia. "Preeti Jhangiani announces IGI Stadium as venue for inaugural edition of 'Pro Panja League'". Webdunia. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ Vijaykumar, Ajit (2023-07-21). "Arm-ageddon: The Sharjah accountant taking UAE arm wrestling forward". The National. Retrieved 2023-07-25.
- ^ "From Handball To Panja, Why Sports Leagues Are Taking Off In India". Forbes India. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ a b M, Hari Kishore (2022-05-10). "Pro Panja League: Asia's biggest arm-wrestling league to commence ranking tournament in Gwalior on July 22". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ "Kochi shines in the final, defeating Hyderabad to win the opening season of Pro Panja League". morningexpress.in. 2023-08-13. Retrieved 2023-08-13.
- ^ a b c Pro Panja League season 1 kicks off with bang; Ludhiana Lions, Mumbai Muscle register wins https://www.aninews.in/
- ^ a b "Pro Panja League 2023 - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2023-07-29.
- ^ Raja, Vidya (2020-11-05). "Anyone Can Arm Wrestle to Win Rs 15000 at This Inclusive Pro-Panja League". The Better India. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ "Pro Panja League to kick-off in Delhi". A2zoftrends. 2023-06-06. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ Desk, The Bridge (2023-07-11). "Pro Panja League drafts 180 arm wrestlers for inaugural season". thebridge.in. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ SportzConnect (2023-07-06). "Pro Panja League organizes thrilling exhibition arm wrestling match in Mumbai". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ "Pro Panja League announces Rs 20 lakh as prize money for winning team of inaugural season". Sports Digest. 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ ["https://sportsmintmedia.com/pro-panja-league-goes-global-with-sportvot-as-official-worldwide-streaming-partner/" "Pro Panja League goes global with SportVot as official worldwide streaming partner"].
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