Battle of prowess: wrestlers to fight it out for coveted silver mace in Bihar’s Jamui

Nearly 200 wrestlers from across Bihar are set to converge at Jamui on Saturday to showcase their physical prowess at the two-day ‘Maati Ka Bal - Dangal’.

The State-level wrestling event is being jointly organised by the Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA) and the Wrestling Association of Bihar. The event, now in its second edition, will be held at Sri Krishna Singh Memorial Stadium in Jamui, following the success of the inaugural edition in Begusarai last year.

A total of 186 wrestlers, 162 men and 24 women, have registered for the competition so far, with registrations set to end on Friday midnight.

The event will feature five weight categories for men – 50-60 kg, 60-70 kg, 70-80 kg, 80-90 kg, and 90 kg and above – and two for women: 50-60 kg, and 60 kg and above.

The top three winners will receive cash prizes of ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000, and ₹25,000 respectively, while the best wrestler at the event will be awarded a coveted silver mace.

Crafted in 1954, the mace has become a symbol of excellence in the sport since it was presented to wrestler Vishwanath Singh in 1975 on being conferred with the ‘Bihar Kesari’ title.

Meanwhile, the BSSA has announced the first list of 514 athletes selected for sports scholarships. “Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who unveiled the scheme last year, will present scholarships under three categories: ‘Utkarsh’ (₹20 lakh), ‘Saksham’ (₹5 lakh), and ‘Prerna’ (₹3 lakh),” BSSA Director General and Chief Executive Officer Raveendran Sankaran said.

He said the scholarships can be used by athletes to purchase sports equipment, for training and diet, and participating in national and international events.