Sports in Maharashtra
The Maharashtra Open, a tennis ATP Tour 250 tournament, is annually held in Balewadi Stadium, Pune.
It was a form of grappling that was more complex than wrestling, and was performed in earthen mud pits called akhadas or talims, some of which can still be found in Maharashtra today.
Historical depictions of the martial art can be seen on archaeological sculptures from the region at numerous locations, such as Kharosa or Pavnar.
[1] Baji Rao II, the last Peshwa of the Maratha Empire, was a patron of strength and wrestling competitions during the early 19th century.
After Baji Rao lost power and was exiled to northern India, Deodhar brought malkhamb and mallavidya to other Maratha-ruled states such as Baroda and Gwalior.
[2] Among the rulers of these princely states, horse riding, wrestling, fencing, archery, and shooting gained popularity.
Like in other regions of India, British rulers and aristocrats enjoyed outdoor sports and built facilities for their own leisure.
In the 1920s, Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi, the ruler of Aundh State, helped popularize the series of yoga positions called Surya Namaskar, a flowing sequence of salutations to the sun.
As part of this policy, the Sports Infrastructure Development Plan was created[25] and a reservation was made for a sportsperson in government and semi-government jobs.
In 2012, a third sports policy was declared, which created financial assistance to prepare the state for participation in international competitions.
[26][27] In rural areas of Maharashtra, kusti (Indian mud wrestling) and bullock cart competitions can regularly be seen during the annual jatra carnival.
The Maharashtran government has supported kusti in the state by constructing two permanent training centers for the sport in the Kolhapur area.
[28] Despite cricket's dominance in most of India, wrestling has maintained its popularity in Maharashtra, especially in the rural regions of the state and Kolhapur district.
[29][30] In kusti, a style of traditional wrestling, matches are typically held in a clay or dirt pit[31] in which the soil is mixed with ghee and other materials.
[32] This sport encompasses an ancient subculture in which wrestlers live and train together and following strict rules on diet and leisure.
The focus is on living a pure life and building one's strength and skills, and abstaining from drinking, smoking, and sex.
[32] Kusti represents the intersection of sports, politics, and culture and is deeply embedded in the agrarian economy of rural Maharashtra.
[35] The largest tournaments in the state draw top wrestlers from the region and even outside India, including from Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and several African nations.
[29] Hiranna M. Nimal was a silver medalist at the 1962 Asian Games and also represented Maharashtra in many other national and international leagues.
[citation needed] Cricket is played at domestic and international levels in Maharashtra and is consistently supported by people from most parts of the state.
[61][62] Football is another popular sport in many parts of the state, with the FIFA World Cup and the English Premier League being followed widely.
The eighth Motilal Mathurawala Trophy Seven-a-side Junior National Football Championship was held in Pune.
[75] Maharashtra hosted the First Youth National American Football Championship in 2007[76] in which the Mumbai Gladiators and Pune Marathas played their first match against each other.
[85] Funds raised from the race are donated to Project Concern International, an NGO working towards HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.
It is India's only international level tennis tournament, with singles and doubles male players from the country and abroad participating.
[87][88][89] The MTL launched with a total of 80 players and five teams: the Mumbai Blasters, Sharp Smashers, Baseline Bombers, Accurate Aces, and Dazzling Deuces.
[95] Mumbai has hosted the Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open, an International Series tournament of the ATP World Tour, in 2006 and 2007.
[101] Maharashtra has produced many notable chess players, including Abhijit Kunte, Praveen Thipsay, Rohini Khadilkar, and Anupama Gokhale.
