Former Baseball player and now a World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) wrestler Rinku Singh took a dip in Sangam at the Magh Mela-2021 in Prayagraj and offered prayers on Thursday. He also visited the Bade Hanuman temple on the banks of Sangam and paid obeisance to Lord Hanuman, the God of power and strength, who has been worshipped by wrestlers across India for ages.
“It was truly a spiritual experience. I feel fully reinvigorated and would now enter the wrestling ring in the US with new energy and spirit,” said Rinku Singh.
He later also took part in a havan in the temple complex and became a member of Ganga Sena, an NGO headed by Chote Mahant of Bade Hanuman temple Anand Giri. The sena is dedicated to ‘saving’ the holy Ganges.
A Bhadohi native, 33-year-old Rinku Singh’s story is as improbable as it is inspiring. Son of a humble truck driver who grew up in the rural belt of Hindi heartland and won a reality TV show contest “Million Dollar Arm” in 2008; played Baseball at the highest level in US and Australia before turning to professional wrestling when forced to give up baseball due to elbow injuries.
A quality javelin thrower and a cricketer as a kid, Rinku in 2008, then just 19 years old, had earned US $100,000 for his ability to throw a baseball fast and eventually signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, a top US baseball team, for $8,000.
{{/usCountry}}A quality javelin thrower and a cricketer as a kid, Rinku in 2008, then just 19 years old, had earned US $100,000 for his ability to throw a baseball fast and eventually signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, a top US baseball team, for $8,000.
{{/usCountry}}On July 4, 2009, a towering 6 feet 4 inches tall Singh became the first Indian citizen to appear in a professional baseball game in the US. He also played professional Baseball in Dominican Republic and Australia.
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However, the dream to make it big as a professional baseball player flamed out in 2016 as a result of recurring elbow injuries. Rinku’s path then took a sharp turn into the world of professional wrestling after he signed up with WWE in January 2018 where he now aims to make it big.
“I realise that I can better connect with Indian youth through WWE wrestling than I could through baseball which is mainly a US sport. So I am looking forward to reaching as many Indian youngsters as I can through my wrestling in the rings and motivate them to also go out and chase their dreams,” he added.