Gatka teams showcase traditional martial arts at Virsa Sambhal Tournament

BATHINDA, Punjab—Gatka teams from Punjab and Rajasthan showcased their mesmerising combative and defensive skills during the Virsa Sambhal Gatka tournament held on Baisakhi. As many as 10 Gatka teams participated in this 15th annual Virsa Sambhal Gatka event conducted by the International Sikh Martial Art Academy (ISMAA) in collaboration with District Gatka Association (DGA) Bathinda.

ISMAA chairman Harjeet Singh Grewal announced that the academy is compiling an international directory of all Gatka Akharas running across the globe so as to bring out an exhaustive reference book for the first time. ISMAA vice chairman Avtar Singh and Raghbir Chand revealed that ISMAA has chalked out an exhaustive plan to organize martial arts training camps, Gatka seminars, and workshops in different states to train the budding players.

Elaborating on this, ISMAA secretary Udhey Singh said that the academy would also publish a bimonthly Gatka sport magazine to highlight martial art activities and events, in addition to creating mass awareness about the historic martial art worldwide.

DGA chairman Parminder Singh Sidhu of the Fateh group of colleges said Gatka is an art of self-defense, which also instills cultural and traditional values in the youth. Praising the initiatives of ISMAA in furthering this martial art, he said that promoting this centuries-old traditional sport could help lessen the high rates of drug addiction among youth.

In the men’s category for traditional weapons demonstration, the Miri Piri Gatka Academy Gill Kalan received first place, Baba Jagat Singh Gatka Akhara Gurharsahai received second, and Khalsa Warriors Ganganagar received third place. In the women’s category Miri Piri Gatka Academy Gill Kalan received first place, Shaheed Baab Zorawar Singh Gatka Akhara Jodhpur Pakhar received second, and Kaur Khalsa Gatka Akhara Fatehgarh Sahib received third.

In the women’s soti fight, which is an individual event, Baba Jagat Singh Gatka Akhara Gurharsahai defeated the Miri Piri Gatka Academy Gill Kalan for first place and the Baba Jujhar Singh Gatka Academy Aklia Kalan received third place.

Others present at the occasion included: ISMAA finance secretary Baljit Singh Saini, district coordinators Sachnaam Singh Hoshiarpur, Harjinder Singh Tarntaran, Harkiranjit Singh Fazilka, Talwinder Singh Ferozpur and Gurpreet Singh Butahari Gatka referee.

 
 

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