Maharashtra Should Aim for an Olympic Wrestling Medal – CM Devendra Fadnavis

Inaugurates ‘Chief Minister’s Trophy National Wrestling Championship’ in Nagpur with Grandeur

Nagpur : Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today expressed hope that Maharashtra should strive to secure a wrestling medal at the Olympics—something the state hasn’t achieved since legendary wrestler Khashaba Jadhav brought home India’s first Olympic medal in wrestling. Addressing young wrestlers, he assured the state government’s full support in providing world-class infrastructure and training facilities.

Fadnavis was speaking at the grand inauguration of the Chief Minister’s Trophy National Wrestling Championship at the Divisional Sports Complex in Mankapur, Nagpur. The event was jointly organised by the Wrestling Federation of India, Maharashtra State Wrestling Association, Nagpur City Wrestling Association, and the Nagpur Municipal Corporation.

The event was attended by Minister of State for Home (Rural) Dr. Pankaj Bhoyar, Minister of State for Finance and Planning Adv. Ashish Jaiswal, Nagpur City Wrestling Association President and MLA Sandeep Joshi, MLA Krupal Tumane, WFI President Sanjay Kumar Singh, MSWA President Ramdas Tadas, and NMC Commissioner Dr. Abhijit Chaudhary, among others.

CM Fadnavis praised Maharashtra’s strong performance in national and international sporting events in recent years. He highlighted the state’s top ranking in the Khelo India Games for three consecutive years and noted Maharashtra’s dominance in wrestling among athletes under 15. However, he stressed the need to improve performance in the above-15 age group.

“Wrestlers must not limit their aspirations to the Maharashtra Kesari title but aim for Olympic glory. For this, a supportive ecosystem is essential, and the Maharashtra government is committed to providing international-level training and infrastructure,” he said.

He added that wrestling is an ancient sport with references found in epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Wrestling and kabaddi are widely played in the rural heartlands of Maharashtra, especially in places like Kolhapur, Pune, Satara, Amravati, and Nagpur. “Traditional mud wrestling has now transitioned to modern mats. Our athletes must adapt to these changes and continuously hone their skills,” he urged.

The CM also enjoyed watching some of the matches and presented medals to the winners.

Sandeep Joshi delivered the welcome address, while WFI President Sanjay Kumar Singh and MSWA President Ramdas Tadas also guided the participants.

The championship features competitors under 15 from 25 states across India, competing over two days in 10 weight categories: boys (38–85 kg) and girls (33–66 kg) in both freestyle and Greco-Roman formats.