The Pehlwani Akhara is a nearly 100 year old wrestling pit in a corner of Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi city.

The pit is actually a small portion of the garden, which was turned into a training ground for wrestlers in 1920 by Akhara Ustad Allah Dad Khan Rustam-i-Rawalpindi. Although few trainers remain, they have managed to keep the traditional style of wrestling alive. There used to be more than 12 akharas in Rawalpindi, but now only one remains.

The management of the training ground said government’s attention is needed to revive the wrestling style, which would otherwise be consigned to history.

Pehlwani or kushti is an old form of wrestling in the Indian subcontinent, and both words are of Persian-origin. In Persian literature, Rostum Pehlwan was a legendary hero mentioned in Ferdosi’s Shahnama.

Even in the subcontinent, heavyweight champions were given the titles Rostum-i-Zamana and Rostum-Hind.

The last Rostum-i-Zamana was Gama Pehlwan who was awarded the title in 1910 and held it until 1947.

Despite the recent arrival of mixed martial arts, as well as sports such as cricket, people are still interested in wrestling, but due to the grueling training process to prepare for national and international wrestling competitions, most of the people who visit the Pehlwani Akhara in Liaquat Bagh do it to stay fit.

Training for the sport is difficult and requires a routine. A wrestler’s day begins with exercise and ends with exercise.

Dressed in loincloths, wrestlers first run and then do press-ups and squats. After this, they exercise their shoulders with wooden weights called mongali, and then enter the wrestling pit. The actual wrestling can include up to four wrestlers. Saad Ahmed, the District Wrestling Association president, told Dawn: “It is training for wrestling, stamina and strength. A real pehlwan protects his and the opponent’s bones while using strength.”

After an hour or two of practice, the wrestlers are allowed to rest, given massages and a drink called sardai, which is made from almonds, seeds and herbs.

“It is time consuming, and the pehlwan has to practice six days a week, in the morning and the evening, before going to international and national championships,” Mr Ahmed said.

He said the government has not acted as a patron to the sport, which is why the city’s 12 akharas have been reduced to a single training ground.

In Ayub Khan’s tenure, the winning wrestler or Rostum-i-Pakistan received land and an honorarium,” he said.

Mr Ahmed said Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rashid Ahmed was also a regular visitor to the akhara in the past. “He came to practice in the akhara a few years ago,” he recalled.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2017