Rohtak : Rohtak district having more than 25 ‘Akhadas’ in the area at present has been emerged as a nursery of national and international wrestlers in past years having large number of renowned wrestlers, both males and females brought honour for the state as well as for the country and bagged large number of medals in national as well as international level games including Olympic, World Championship, Commonwealth Games, Asian Championship and SAF Games. That was the time when there were no gymnasium sand offering only basic facilities such as a hall, mats and a rope and wrestlers were having training at private gymnasiums by paying from their own pockets. With the passage of time the craze for wrestling increased not only in the country but also across the world.
The stadiums at Rohtak have produced wrestlers who have made their presence felt in prestigious global sporting events such as the Olympics, Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games and SAF Games, besides participating in various national, state and inter-university sports competitions. Presently, there is great enthusiasm for wrestling among local youths, especially girls since after 2010 and now there are more than 100 wrestlers in Haryana state including around 50 girls undergoing training in different ‘Akhadas’ at Rohtak. International wrestler Sakshi Malik is also a product of the famous Chhotu Ram Stadium at Rohtak who won medal in wrestling in 2016 for the country. She won a bronze medal in wrestling at the Rio Olympics in 2016, a silver medal in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 and a bronze medal in the Doha Senior Asian Championship in 2015.
Not only male and female wresterls from Haryana, but also male youths of both sexes from other states Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are visiting wrestling nurseries at Rohtak. Among few prominent names of female wrestlers include Pooja Gehlot, Manisha, Ritu Malik, Tina, Mansi, Annu, Jyoti, Neetu,Reena, Pinki Malik, Rekha Rani, Shikhsha, Sudesh, Rakhi and Mansi who had training at the Rohtak stadium for the past four or five years and attribute their success to coach Mandeep and bagged Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for the country in National and International championships. Director (Sports and Youth Affairs) said that wrestlers from the Rohtak stadium are doing very well at the national and international events and the state government is committed to facilitating sports persons and working for their betterment.
According to information, first wrestling ‘Akhada’ was set up at Rohtak police lines, said Ranbir Dhaka a famous wrestling coach which prepared large number of wrestlers like Satyavrat, Satinder Malik, Sunil, Sooraj Ronit and many more brought medals in national and international wrestling competitions for the country. Meanwhile, large number of ‘Akhadas’ were set up in rural areas in Rohtak district on the ground most of them later were replaced by mat flooring preparing youths for the wrestling. Among 10 famoueswrestling ‘Akhadas’ at Rohtak include Chhotu Ram Stadium for female wrestlers, Mehar Singh Akhada, Sayavad Kadian Akhada, Suresh Akhada, Capt Ramkaran Akhada, Maharshi Dayanand Akhada, Vikas Akhada, Inderdev Akhada at Bohar, Arya Vyamshala at Bohar and wrestling Akhaha in University,
