Around two dozen wrestlers to visit Pakistan for second grand wrestling event

LONDON: Around two dozen international wrestlers will be visiting Pakistan next month to take part in Pakistan's second international professional wrestling event which will take place in August across various Pakistani venues.

Well-known wrestlers Bram, Tiny Iron, Pram and Chardonhay attended a press conference with Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas and Imran Shah, the CEO of Ring of Pakistan (ROP), the company behind the wrestling event. Labour MP from Bradford Imran Hussain also attended the event.

Imran Shah had organised the first-ever pro-event last year in Pakistan under the banner Pro Wrestling Entertainment (PWE) but now the company has been renamed as the Ring of Pakistan (ROP).

As many as 25 wrestlers from all over the world including USA, UK, Germany, France and Belgium will visit Pakistan in August this year.

Syed Ibne Abbas told the wrestlers that Pakistani fans loved wrestling and looked forward to their participation in these matches. He said that wrestling used to be very popular in Pakistan but over the last few decades it declined as no attention was paid to the powerful sport.

Abbas hoped that the wrestling event in August this year will help revive wrestling in Pakistan. He said that Pakistani youth was keen on healthy sports and lots of youth were turning to body-building and healthy lifestyle.

Imran Shah said that the decision to hold the second annual wrestling national event has been taken to project Pakistan's positive image and to "shun the negativity that exists about Pakistan."

He said that there is a perception in some sections that Pakistan isn't safe but stressed that the wrestlers who visited Pakistan last year were raring to go back. "We want to promote Pakistan as a sports-loving country."

Shah claimed that Pakistan Army has assured him of full support for the safety of the events. He said that the event this year will be better than the last year's as "we learnt a lot of lessons at the last event which was a big success and helped us learn a lot."

He announced that four international wrestlers will be visiting Pakistan next month where a press conference will be held in which details about the grand wrestling event will be revealed. "We will reveal names of the venues and full line-up of more than two dozen wrestlers who will be taking part in the matches."

Tiny Iron, who performed in Pakistan last year, said going to Pakistan was going to meet "my family."

He said in his message: "Lahore Lahore ay, hello Pakistan I am coming again. I am coming to meet my cousins and brothers and sisters. I cannot wait to be back in Pakistan and I am so excited."

Badshah Khan, Bram and Chardhonhay said they were excited to be back in Pakistan. They said playing in Pakistan in front of their fans will be a huge honour for them.

The wrestlers said that wrestling is a multi-billion dollar international sports industry and there is opportunity for Pakistan to benefit from it.

They agreed that playing in Pakistan was exciting for them and they always wished to visit Pakistan, meet its people and interact with their fans.