The Great Khali Urges Grassroots Sports Push For India’s 2036 Olympic Dream, Remains Confident in Sher-e-Ludhiana’s Pro Panja League Triumph
Gwalior, August 6 — Former WWE wrestler and Pro Panja League (PPL) team ambassador Dalip Singh Rana, popularly known as The Great Khali, believes India’s quest to host the 2036 Olympic Games must be rooted in a stronger grassroots sporting ecosystem. Speaking exclusively to IANS during Season 2 of the Pro Panja League underway in Gwalior, Khali stressed that more domestic tournaments across varied sports are vital to develop a winning mentality and produce future Olympic medalists.
“More competitions, more tournaments at the grassroots... The high pool of talent we have will grow and prosper with more competition, increase their confidence, and make them stronger mentally,” Khali said.
“This will help India win more medals and create a winning mentality.”
India’s Olympic Bid Hinges on Grassroots Development: Khali
India has publicly expressed interest in bidding for the 2036 Summer Olympics, with cities like Ahmedabad and Delhi emerging as potential hosts. According to Khali, beyond infrastructure, it is critical that India enhances its local sporting framework, encouraging participation at a young age.
Sports administrators have highlighted the need to build depth and consistency — not just elite performances — as part of India’s long-term sporting ambitions. Khali’s comments align with this national roadmap, which looks to increase the number of tournaments and exposure for young athletes.
Pro Panja League Season 2: Format, Teams & Opening Day Highlights
Established by Bollywood actor Suniel Shetty, the Pro Panja League has rapidly gained popularity for bringing arm-wrestling into the professional sports spotlight in India. Season 2 features six franchises:
- Mumbai Muscle
- Jaipur Veers
- Kiraak Hyderabad
- Sher-e-Ludhiana
- Rohtak Rowdies
- MP Hathodhas
On the opening day of Season 2 action in Gwalior:
- Mumbai Muscle defeated MP Hathodhas
- Kiraak Hyderabad edged past Sher-e-Ludhiana
Despite the initial loss, spirits remain high in the Sher-e-Ludhiana camp.
Khali Backs Sher-e-Ludhiana to Lift Title
Khali, who acts as the team mentor and public face of the Ludhiana-based outfit, brushed aside concerns over the early setback and expressed full confidence in his squad’s capabilities.
“This is just the start but I hope that my team wins. We will never lose hope… You can see how strong they are — just by looking at their biceps; everyone is carrying an arsenal of 20 inches plus,” Khali remarked.
Sher-e-Ludhiana features a lineup of experienced arm-wrestlers and promising new entrants, several of whom hail from Punjab — a state known for producing power-sport athletes. According to insiders, Khali’s presence has boosted the team’s morale and enhanced their local support base.
India’s Larger Sporting Context
India’s recent performances at multi-sport events such as the Tokyo Olympics and Commonwealth Games have indicated a rising trajectory across disciplines like wrestling, weightlifting, boxing, badminton, and athletics. However, experts note that to consistently finish in the Top-10 of the Olympic medals tally, the country needs:
- Wider grassroots participation
- Better coaching and scouting systems
- Regular inter-state and national-level competitions
- A focus on mental conditioning and high-performance centres
Khali’s remarks are timely as sporting bodies prepare vision documents for the 2036 bid, expected to be formally submitted to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the coming years.
What’s Next in Pro Panja League Season 2?
With the tournament spread over multiple match days, Sher-e-Ludhiana will look to bounce back strongly in their upcoming fixtures. Their primary goal remains to qualify for the playoffs, which will be followed by the semi-finals and the grand finale.
The PPL is not just a television spectacle but a ground-level scouting platform for strength-based athletes and has already inspired state-level arm-wrestling federations to increase activities.
Final Thoughts — The Trending People
As India builds momentum towards hosting the 2036 Olympics, voices like The Great Khali highlight a critical truth: nations are not built in stadiums, but in playgrounds. The Pro Panja League offers a model of how indigenous sports can be structured into professional leagues that nurture talent, ignite passion, and instil belief. Whether Sher-e-Ludhiana emerge champions this season remains to be seen, but India’s journey to Olympic greatness must surely begin from its grassroots.
