Arm-wrestling legend Michael Todd impressed as Tawheed Shaikh, Yogesh Chaudhary win big in Pro Panja
Arm-wrestling legend Michael Todd, who witnessed the entire finale action, was impressed seeing the level of competition as Maharashtra's Tawheed Shaikh won his final thrilling bout against Haryana's Karaj Singh in men's 90 Kg category, that went right down to the wire.
The historic Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh became the hub of arm-wrestling as intense competition was seen in the finals of Pro Panja League 2022 Ranking Tournament on Sunday. 23-time World Championship-winning arm-wrestler Michael 'The Monster' Todd, Asian arm-wrestling federation president Jeenbek Mukambetov were among the dignitaries gracing the event as 20 arm-wrestlers competed in 10 thrilling bouts that lit up the city of Gwalior.
Arm-wrestling legend Michael Todd, who witnessed the entire finale action, was impressed seeing the level of competition as Maharashtra's Tawheed Shaikh won his final thrilling bout against Haryana's Karaj Singh in men's 90 Kg category, that went right down to the wire. Meanwhile, there were celebrations in store for Haryana as well as Yogesh Chaudhary defeated Kerala's Jincy Jose to claim the women's 65+kg title.
In the specially-abled category, Chandan Kumar Behera (Odisha) picked up the win, after which Yazar Arafhat (Kerala) won his bout in the 60kg men category. Arya VP (Kerala) won the first female bout of the day, after which Rahul Panicker (Kerala) picked the win in men's 70kg category.
Chetna Sharma (Assam) won the Women's 65kg bout, and Kerala's Mazahir Saidu (Kerala) stunned his opponent in men's 100+kg category. Jagdish Baruah (Assam) won the Men's 100Kg category after which the night saw the biggest upset as Asker Ali (Kerala) beat hometown hero Sachin Goyal (Madhya Pradesh) in the men's 80Kg match.
Speaking on the action, 'The Monster' Michael Todd said, "We have never seen an atmosphere like this. It has been an absolute pleasure to be here and to witness the hospitality and feel the love in India. I am deeply impressed by the level of competition here, and I am hopeful to return to India again in the future."
Over 600 arm-wrestlers registered their name for the Pro Panja Ranking tournament this time around. The Pro Panja Ranking Tournament, sanctioned by the Indian arm-wrestling federation, was co-hosted in Gwalior by the Gwalior arm-wrestling federation.