Mumbai: The stage is set for the inaugural season of the Pro Panja League to kick off with Asia's biggest arm-wrestling promotion set to premiere on Sony Sports Network from 28 July 2023. With the final set to take place on 13 August 2023, the 17-day sporting event is ready to take armwrestling across India to the next level and revolutionise the sport all around the country.
To add to the level of excitement, Pro Panja League has announced their first two franchises with Punit Balan Studios Private Ltd. acquiring the Mumbai franchise and Ned Ventures Led By Gautam Reddy getting the Hyderabad franchise.
Speaking of his association with the Pro Panja League, Balan said, "One of the most popular and fast games across the world is arm-wrestling. It is a combination of strength and technique to pin down your opponent. The game has a unique and ancient history. I am glad to be associated with Pro Panja League because our group supports non-cricketing sports. We want to give equal importance to all sports. There is a lot of excitement around Pro Panja League among the masses. We want to make this league the next big thing in India."
Reddy also addressed the reasons behind investing in the Pro Panja League franchise and said, "We are delighted to associate ourselves with Pro Panja League. We have always believed in giving prominence to the regional sports in India, like we have done with Kabaddi and Pro Panja League shares similar vision as ours. Panja is a sport which is a part of Indian culture and we are delighted to see it getting the platform it deserves after a long time. We are happy with the work the co-owners Mr. Parvin Dabas and Ms. Preeti Jhangiani have done over the past few years. We are confident Pro Panja League will change the landscape of armwrestling, not only in India, but all over the world."
Both Balan and Reddy already have a vast experience of successfully running teams in sporting leagues. Punit Balan is an entrepreneur, filmmaker, social worker and a sports enthusiast and owns teams across multiple sports leagues in India. Meanwhile, Reddy is also the owner of a prominent kabaddi team which competes in one of India's biggest professional leagues.
"We are glad to see prominent businesses of such great caliber and vast experience associating themselves with the Pro Panja League. We are grateful to them for showing their interest in armwrestling. Their presence promises a cracking contest in the first season of the Pro Panja League. Mumbai and Hyderabad are two regions which are hugely popular among arm wrestling fans and we are confident the two teams will make their presence known in the first season," said Pro Panja League co-founder Parvin Dabas.
