In a massive boost for the Indian wrestling, the Uttar Pradesh Government has adopted the sport and is expected to pump in an investment of Rs 170 crore in infrastructure and support to the wrestlers till the 2032 Olympics, WFI President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh said.
The top boss of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said that they took inspiration from the Odisha Government’s support to the sport of hockey and they approached the UP Government for a similar assistance to their game.
“Odisha is a small state, yet they are supporting hockey in such a great manner, so we thought, why can’t UP, which is such a big state, support wrestling. We approached them and the CM Yogi Adityanath has accepted it,” Singh said.
“In our proposal, we have asked for Rs 10 crore support every year till the 2024 Games (Rs 30 crore) and in the next Olympic cycle till 2028, we have asked for a support of Rs 15 crore per year (Rs 60 crore) and in the final phase till 2032, it is Rs 20 crore per year (Rs 80 crore),” he said explaining the details.
“With this happening, sponsorships will not be restricted to just country’s elite wrestlers. Even the Cadet level wrestlers will get sponsorship and we will able to give prize money to even national champions.”
The WFI had also roped in Tata Motors in 2018 as principal sponsors of Indian wrestling, a partnership which had brought with it a financial support of Rs 12 crore that allowed the federation to give away central contracts to wrestlers till the Tokyo Games.