MMA in India

When I last saw Dana White, India was his other big target market alongside China. It's everyone's target market.

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Sanjay Dutt-Raj Kundra launch mixed martial arts league
PTI | Jan 16, 2012, 10.26PM IST

MUMBAI: Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt has joined hands with businessman Raj Kundra to launch a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting league called SFL.

The first 'Super Fight League' (SFL) event, being promoted by Dutt and Kundra's company Super Fight Promotions, will be held in Mumbai on March 11, followed by Chandigarh (April 7) and New Delhi (May 6).

Promising thorough sportainment, each fight night is expected to have a minimum of seven fights, besides a Bollywood celebrity act and an after party for VIP ticket holders, organisers said.

The first fight in Mumbai will see six Indian fighters in various weight categories, taking on six MMA fighters, which would be followed by the main event - a super heavy duel between United Kingdom's James Thompson and Bob Sapp of US.

The fighters will go at each other for three five-minute rounds in which the judges would decide who won if neither of them is knocked out or has 'tapped out' (quits). It would be the referee's job to stop a fight if one of the fighters is unable to defend himself.

"The mixed martial arts industry is valued at $2 billion in America alone. It is the fastest growing sport. The unpredictability of the sport is what makes it attractive," said Kundra, who also owns IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals along with actress-wife Shilpa Shetty, at a press conference on Monday.

"MMA is a full combat sport comprising 36 different styles of fighting including karate, judo and kung-fu. We have (over 50) fighters from all around the world training for the past six months (for the league). They will also train fighters in the country," he said.

Commenting on the revenue stream, Kundra said, "The revenue would be through advertising and sponsorship-based funding. We have link-ups with various websites and also TV deals. But we are holding them back. We would make an announcement shortly."

On the occasion, Dutt said, "Martial arts began in India and left the country. We are trying to bring them back."

"We have a camp in Nashik where the Indian fighters are being trained. Our dream is that fighters from our country should be known across the world."

Dutt asserted that the fights in the league would be real and not staged.

SFL chief executive officer Ken Pavia said though there are chances of injury in the sport, we have rules in place to ensure that fighters are not fatally wounded.

"MMA is not human-****fighting. Over 20 years, various rules have been made in America to ensure the safety of athletes."

SFL chief operating officer Daniel Isaac, who is training fighters from the country, said the league was a great opportunity for the Indian fighters.

"We are signing exclusive fighters from across the world. They already have 10-15 years of experience. Indian fighters have already started training at the grassroots. We have picked them from various 'akharas' (wrestling arena) and put them in our exclusive gyms.

"There will be open trials in Punjab and Haryana. MMA is a great opportunity for Indian athletes who have great ability," Isaac added.

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I'm envisioning the MMA fighters breaking out into a Bollywood dance number. That would be AWESOME!

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Fight Club: JLo set to perform at Sanjay Dutt's Martial Arts event in Mumbai
By Sonali Joshi
Last updated at 10:11 PM on 9th February 2012

Latina pop diva Jennifer Lopez will be the latest international celebrity to visit India.

JLo is scheduled to be in Mumbai to perform on March 11 at the inaugural gala of the Mixed Martial Arts Super Fight League (SFL), a venture launched by Sanjay Dutt in association with Shilpa Shetty's entrepreneur husband Raj Kundra.

Lopez, 42, joins an A-list of international pop icons that includes Metallica, Lady Gaga, Akon and Pitbull, who have performed in India in the recent past. She is also the latest western celebrity to hit Indian shores after Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...28_224x595.jpghttp://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/...89_224x595.jpg
JLo is scheduled to be in Mumbai to perform on March 11 at the inaugural gala of the Mixed Martial Arts Super Fight League

While Kundra confirmed JLo's participation in the event, he said plans were being made to rope in a few more big-ticket international names for the gala.

A few stars from Bollywood, besides top Indian singers, will also perform at the SFL opening do at Mumbai's Andheri Sports Complex.

'Kundra and Dutt want to create an annual martial arts event that will rival similar events all over the world.

'They want to make SFL a brand name. Naturally, they want a big start,' a source said.

SFL is being touted as a mix of sport and entertainment on the lines of WWE.

The league promises to feature some of the best-known names from the world of wrestling, boxing and other forms of martial arts.

The owners will soon reveal the list of fighters for the event. Apart from a grand opening, the SFL promises to have bigticket after-parties.

Although this will be JLo's first visit to India, she may not get much of a chance to visit any other place.

She is expected to be in the country for less than a week, and most of the time will be spent in preparations.

She apparently plans to rehearse at the actual venue every day.

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Jennifer Lopez will perform in Mumbai at Sanjay Dutt and Raj Kundra’s (right)
Mixed Martial Arts Super Fight League event

The sultry singer-actress shot to fame in 1999 with her debut album, On The 6, which featured the chart-topping song, If you had my love.

By the time her second album, JLo, sold eight million copies worldwide in 2001, she had already become one of the hottest stars in the global pop scene.

Twice nominated at the Grammy Awards, she is estimated to have sold close to 60 million records worldwide in her 12-year career as a singer. Earlier this year, she was chosen to have her own star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.

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A Youtube channel. Well, that makes it easy.

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Sanjay Dutt's martial arts to go ‘live'
Prashant Singh, Hindustan Times
Mumbai, February 17, 2012
First Published: 12:08 IST(17/2/2012)
Last Updated: 17:05 IST(17/2/2012)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Images...eMediumRes.JPG
(From left) Super Heavy Weight fighter James Thomson, founder of Super Fight Promotions pvt ltd Raj Kundra, actor Sanjay Dutt and co-founder and chairman of Super Heavy Weight Fighter Bob Sapp pose during the launch of India's first professionally organized mixed martial art fighting league, Super Fight League 'SFL' in Mumbai. AFP Photo

They are leaving no stone unturned to kick off their sporting venture in style. Actor-producer Sanjay Dutt and partner Raj Kundra, who have tied up on Super Fight League, have inked a deal with video-sharing website, YouTube, to make it the official online broadcaster of the matches.

Super Fight League also marks popular sporting event Mixed Martial Arts’ entry in India. The first match will be aired on Sunday, March 11.

Sanjay beams, “We will show the world some of the best Mixed Martial Arts’ fighters from India. Through our initiative, fans can also interact with the fighters, my celebrity friends and me on our special channel. And people can watch the fights at any hour of the day.”

Raj, who will soon turn a father, seconds his partner and calls their move unique: “It will give the league a global reach on a single platform. And since we are offering this for free initially, our events will have greater viewership than any other Mixed Martial Arts event in the world.” Right now, the Super Fight League’s participants are training at a camp in Nasik, where the 52-year-old actor and father of two, and his partner have made the best provisions for them.

The league features Indian and international contestants. Rumours have it that Raj is in talks with international artistes like Jennifer Lopez and American band LMFAO to perform at the inaugural event.Plans for big-ticket after-parties are also being worked out.

A couple of top names from Bollywood’s music fraternity are also expected at the opening ceremony at Andheri Sports Complex on March 11. The owners plan to reveal the list of fighters for the event soon. The Super Fight League was launched in Mumbai, mid last month.

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Eager to see India's spin on MMA.

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Coming soon: India's ultimate fight club Mixed Martial Arts
Ruhi Batra, TNN | Mar 5, 2012, 12.13AM IST

Coming soon: India's ultimate fight club Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed Martial Arts, promoted by Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra and Bollywood superweight Sanjay Dutt, is said to be the world's fastest growing sport. (TOI Photo)

In the opening scene of Enter the Dragon, the legendary Bruce Lee punches, kicks and throws his opponent before finally applying a painful arm-lock and forcing his opponent to surrender.

In the 1970s, cross-training in different martial arts was not allowed. But Lee broke the rules by combining the elements of multiple martial arts via his system philosophy of Jeet Kune Do. He believed that "the best fighter is not a boxer, karate or judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style".

Mixed Martial Arts, which is said to be the world's fastest growing sport, is about to take young, urban India by storm, courtesy the Super Fight League (SFL).

Promoted by Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra and Bollywood superweight Sanjay Dutt, SFL is launching the country's first professional MMA league. The kick-off match, to be held in Mumbai on March 11, will feature two big stars of the MMA world: James 'The Colossus' Thompson of Britain and Bob 'The Beast' Sapp of the US.

A full contact combat sport that has thousands of fans baying for bloody excitement everywhere it goes, MMA allows the use of both striking and grappling fight forms like boxing, wrestling, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing and karate. It owes its origins to the ancient Greek sport of pankration, which was often a fight to death. Thankfully, MMA is bound by rules but the aim is still to beat your opponent into submission.

With its cage-like rings, no-holds-barred fights, cheerleaders, and young audiences, MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) has been pumping up serious adrenaline across the world, rivalling boxing and professional wrestling in popularity in markets like the United States and Japan. What adds to the edge are the catchy names for fighting techniques-like sprawl-and-brawl and ground-and-pound.

Although WWE has traditionally been more popular in India, MMA's been quietly but rapidly gaining in popularity as gyms and training centres offer training opportunities, and the culture of fight nights grows across cities. SFL promises to take MMA to a whole new level, says promoter Raj Kundra, pitting India's six best fighters against six international MMA fighters.

Given the success rate of merging sports with entertainment-think IPL, and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the US-MMA, with its image of being raw and real, is turning into a huge crowd-puller.

While Sanjay Dutt described it as one of the "biggest action sports worldwide", Kundra said, "We have a long-term vision for this league...which will bring Indian audiences a new form of sport and entertainment."

What is MMA?

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiujitsu ,Muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles.

Dates:

March 11: Mumbai

April 7: Chandigarh

May 6: New Delhi

Rules: A basic rule of the MMA is that a fighter must fight within his weight class. A bout can be won either through a knock out, a technical knock out, submission, a decision, a unanimous decision, split decision, majority decision or a majority draw. Every round is 5 minutes in duration with a one minute rest period in between rounds. Non title matches must not exceed three rounds (The governing commission can grant dispensation for non-title five round bouts). Title matches can be sanctioned for five rounds.

Stars To Watch Out For

Might Is Right: The Super Fight League, promoted by Bollywood biggie Sanjay Dutt and Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra will kick off in Mumbai on March 11 with a bout between two big stars of the mixed martial arts world-James 'The Colossus' Thompson of UK (left) and Bob 'The Beast' Sapp of US (right).

Bob Sapp: A professional wrestler, kick boxer and mixed martial artist, Sapp has a 11-10-0 (win-loss-draw) MMA record. Nicknamed the 'beast', Sapp stands tall at 6'5" and weighs 141 kgs.

James Thompson: An aggressive fighter, he is someone who started out as a wrestler. Thompson has a 16-14-0 record.

The glamour quotient: Every bout will be preceded by a 45-minute show with music. For Mumbai's first bout, drummer Sivamani will perform with Mika. The grand finale will see actor Bipasha Basu raise the oomph factor.

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I found 11 articles on Shilpa today but none on results of the actual event. Ahhhh, Bollywood!

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12 Mar, 2012, 12.13PM IST, TNN
Mixed Martial Arts is one of the fastest growing sports in the world: Shilpa Shetty

She's seven-and-a-half months pregnant, but Shilpa Shetty ensured to accompany husband Raj Kundra for the inaugural Super Fight League on Sunday. Thoroughly excited and enjoying the 'kick' of their new sports venture, the Bollywood diva opened up on the couple's latest love interest (read MMA) and its prospects in the country. Excerpts ...

After Rajasthan Royals, Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty are now into SFL. How does it feel to be part of a family that is so much into sports?

I never thought all this was going to unfold in my life ... I can't take complete credit for it. I have to credit my husband for the vision of thinking that sports is the way forward in our country. He knows exactly what this country wants. And being a sports enthusiast he thought Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is something that has not yet been tapped in our country.

In a country where WWF and WWE have worked in the past, this would be something people would enjoy, and appreciate . MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. And he (Raj Kundra) always wondered why no other sports is promoted the way cricket is. So, if you see the kind of hype that has gone behind it, it's massive. It was all his vision ...

Both Rajasthan Royals and SFL are your babies. your favourite?

When you have a baby that's already doing well in life (read Rajasthan Royals ), you don't need to focus that much on him. That's the way to look at it. So, I guess for my husband MMA is more important , especially in a country where the beginning and end of sport is cricket . For him to actually have a sold-out event today is really a feat conquered.

I think it will take people two or three events to understand the rules of MMA. I have been eating, drinking, sleeping but he has put together the entire thing in just three months. So, that's quite an achievement.

What's more intense now-baby kicks or excitement about MMA?

I am really worried (with the baby kicks) - if it's a boy then it's fine. But if it's a girl then I have reasons to worry (laughs). This child could then be an MMA junkie.

Is Mr Kundra into martial arts himself ?

He has been training under someone for kick-boxing in London for a long time. He has always been a sports enthusiast. He loves football because he's born and brought up in Britain. When he started MMA he obviously loved it.

He was even keen on doing something for football at some point, but it's very difficult to do something with that sport in our country.

How do you look at MMA? Is it just a sport, a form of self-defence or something more?

There are different perspectives. The way I look at it is that Raj has been able to create job opportunities for so many Indian fighters. If you hear these fighters ' stories they are really heart-wrenching . Right from the training camp that was set up in Nashik to giving them accommodation , their nutrition - some of them can't even afford protein shakes - Raj has gone down to the grassroots level to ensure the nitty-gritties of looking after the MMA fighters.

I also believe that when you have a billion dollar business out of MMA in the UK and US, why should India be lagging behind? There are lots of MMA enthusiasts in the country apart from the fighters , people who watch it on a regular basis . It's amazing why something like this was not launched here before and in this scale. There were a lot of small-town fights here and there.

But when you have the sport managed at this level, it helps all fighters make a better living for themselves.

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I must admit this is a curious endeavor, I don't see this much as a cultural fit...India a country not known for its athleticism....or violent sports really, although they love themselves some religious violence. I think India finally won its first olympic medal in decades during that last summer games.

I think India would be a natural ally of the USA, I'm not sure why we haven't embraced them more to counter balance China's rising power.

Well, they've certainly got our tech support covered. :rolleyes:

How annoying is that??? Nothing is more ridiculous then having to give your personal information to a foreign national...I remember this one time this guy wanted my social security number and Driver's license number just to reset my password or change some info on my credit card account...I laughed then canceled my card with that company after sending them a lengthy what for!

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

I must admit this is a curious endeavor, I don't see this much as a cultural fit...India a country not known for its athleticism....or violent sports really, although they love themselves some religious violence. I think India finally won its first olympic medal in decades during that last summer games.

I think India would be a natural ally of the USA, I'm not sure why we haven't embraced them more to counter balance China's rising power.

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are you sh*tting me or are you really that dense about the indian sub continent, India has a much bigger cultural history in sports than most countries every heard of cricket?

Oh and before you say thats not a real sport, they were holding wrestling matches before most countries were formed (america included), it was the national sport in both India and Pakistan for centuries, and although much diminished is still a major part of life in rural India, with thousands attending regional matches

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Originally Posted by Frost

are you sh*tting me or are you really that dense about the indian sub continent, India has a much bigger cultural history in sports than most countries every heard of cricket?

Oh and before you say thats not a real sport, they were holding wrestling matches before most countries were formed (america included), it was the national sport in both India and Pakistan for centuries, and although much diminished is still a major part of life in rural India, with thousands attending regional matches

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Correct- there are lots of ahtletes in India in various sports.Wrestling has a continuous and continuing history There is indigenous kalaripayattu in the South Sikh ghatka sword work in the north, knife work among the Gurkhas. Stick(mother of silat in se asia) work and lathi work im some areas. And lots of cricket. soccer and some bpxing in some urban schools.The rich princes used to sponsor top wrestlers but that source has dried up. They lack well paid coaches and covering training expenses and travel expenses..
And there are indigenous competitive sports like "kabbadi". And here and there-Ladakh and Manipur some good archery.
And India is the founder of yoga which provides traing support and stretching for many sports.

joy chaudhuri

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Originally Posted by Frost

are you sh*tting me or are you really that dense about the indian sub continent, India has a much bigger cultural history in sports than most countries every heard of cricket?

Oh and before you say thats not a real sport, they were holding wrestling matches before most countries were formed (america included), it was the national sport in both India and Pakistan for centuries, and although much diminished is still a major part of life in rural India, with thousands attending regional matches

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I was gonna say....

Them rural cats loves them some wrestling!!!

India has a long and proud history of athletics. They just kinda do their own thang. Unlike other nations they have NOT jumped on the bandwagon of globally poular sports and have chosen to stick with what they have always done. When the Brits came they brought a few games... and like Cricket, they stuck.

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Originally Posted by Vajramusti

Correct- there are lots of ahtletes in India in various sports.Wrestling has a continuous and continuing history There is indigenous kalaripayattu in the South Sikh ghatka sword work in the north, knife work among the Gurkhas. Stick(mother of silat in se asia) work and lathi work im some areas. And lots of cricket. soccer and some bpxing in some urban schools.The rich princes used to sponsor top wrestlers but that source has dried up. They lack well paid coaches and covering training expenses and travel expenses..
And there are indigenous competitive sports like "kabbadi". And here and there-Ladakh and Manipur some good archery.

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Here are some related threads:
Indian martial arts
Gatka - Martial art of Sikhs
Kabbadi is mentioned in both our Asian Games & Asian Indoor Games threads

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Forget Bollywood -- Mumbai enjoys fight nights

http://s1.reutersmedia.net/resources...=ALNE82E0UYT00
Members of the audience react as they watch a mixed martial arts bout at a fight night in Mumbai February 25, 2012. REUTERS-Danish Siddiqui
Sangram Bhakre (R), a 21-year-old mixed martial arts fighter, fights during a bout at a fight night in Mumbai February 25, 2012. REUTERS-Danish Siddiqui

By Danish Siddiqui
MUMBAI | Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:08am EDT

(Reuters) - The small wooden door in a film studio complex deep within the heart of Mumbai creaks open to pumping music, a beer-guzzling crowd and two men raining punches and kicks onto each other in the makeshift ring.

Welcome to India's very own fight night.

First started around three years ago by Full Contact Championship FCC.L, a company founded to promote mixed martial arts, fight nights are slowly gaining popularity in India, a nation where people traditionally have had no inclination to pay money to watch somebody be physically beaten in front of them.

But increasing globalisation, and years of growing up watching overseas professional wrestling broadcasts, have given younger Indians a taste for seeing the real thing themselves.

"The first time I went into a fight ring, I froze for a few seconds. There were so many people cheering for me, especially girls," said a blushing Sangram "Slammer" Bhakre, a 21-year-old mixed martial arts fighter.

Sangram, who is also preparing for his third-year university exams, is a trained wrestler, boxer and wushu fighter who is something of a hero in his local club in Kolhapur, a town 400 km (250 miles) south of Mumbai.

He is like many of the young fighters who take part in the fight nights, young men trained in different types of martial arts who come from small towns where such training is becoming popular. Sangram spent nine hours on a bus to reach India's commercial and financial hub -- a journey he makes twice a year.

The fighters come for quick money and cheering by a live audience. A fighter can make 10,000 to 20,000 Indian rupees from a single bout, which sometimes lasts less than a minute. The average Indian monthly income is about 4,416 rupees, according to government data.

FROM U.S. TO INDIA

The evenings are organised by Prashant Kumar, a trained mixed martial arts fighter who runs an advertising firm and said he dreamed of bringing the concept to India ever since first seeing it in the United States a decade go.

"The audience is increasing with every fight night as it's a cheap mode of live entertainment for big spenders in this city," Kumar said.

"People are getting bored of watching sports on television. They want to see and feel the pulse of it by being a few meters away from the action."

Fight nights take place in hired studios in Mumbai otherwise used for Bollywood film shoots. The audience is invited mostly through word of mouth and social networking sites like Facebook.

The overall event usually lasts for 3 hours with around eight or nine matches in different weight categories. Every bout consists of three rounds of 10-12 minutes, and most end in knockouts.

Following each night is an after party. Kumar gives free entry with every fight night pass, along with two cans of beer.

"For me it's money to party and also a ticket to become popular with the girls in college who like boys who fight," said a young fighter who prefers anonymity since his parents have yet to find out he participates.

The audience consists of expats, young men and women working in multinational companies and sometimes even families -- anybody able to fork out the 1,000 rupees for a ticket.

"I cannot believe I am watching this in Mumbai," exclaims Anubhav, a 30-year-old banker.

"Next time I am going to bring 10 of my friends. This is amazing. This is pure action with real blood."

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Originally Posted by Frost

are you sh*tting me or are you really that dense about the indian sub continent, India has a much bigger cultural history in sports than most countries every heard of cricket?

Oh and before you say thats not a real sport, they were holding wrestling matches before most countries were formed (america included), it was the national sport in both India and Pakistan for centuries, and although much diminished is still a major part of life in rural India, with thousands attending regional matches

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Did I not give them enough credit for Cricket??? LOL Clearly I'm mistaken and dense...maybe you could shed some light on India's athletic prowess on the international stage on any other sport. I'm well aware of India's historical connections with Yoga and martial arts again, last time I checked yoga was not a competitive sport and maybe you could point out some famous Indian athletes what sports they've won renown in?

I'm not trying to disrespect my Indian brothers...I'd love to see them succeed in any sporting endeavor...but they suck at the olympic competition, most team sports (aside from cricket apparently), golf, soccer, tennis etc. I have yet to hear of any Indian Martial arts champions be it boxing, wrestling, full contact fighting whatever.

When you mention the word India-let me know the first sport that comes to people's minds when you associate the two. Oh yeah...I forgot Cricket. Have I made my point.

Frost the only one sh*tting you, is yourself, you ought to chill out and get over yourself a little bit Princess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_at_the_Olympics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_at_the_Asian_Games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_a...onwealth_Games

The results speak for themselves...for a country with over a billion people they have not done well at all in the Olympics. They even went three consecutive Olympic games in the 1980s and 1990s without even a single medal, the two next games only single bronze medal.

As far as the the Asian Games...I will give them little credit based on their competition.

For the Common wealth games, they get some kudos, aside from Cricket and Rugby, I'm not sure what other sports are played.

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

Did I not give them enough credit for Cricket??? LOL Clearly I'm mistaken and dense...maybe you could shed some light on India's athletic prowess on the international stage on any other sport. I'm well aware of India's historical connections with Yoga and martial arts again, last time I checked yoga was not a competitive sport and maybe you could point out some famous Indian athletes what sports they've won renown in?

I'm not trying to disrespect my Indian brothers...I'd love to see them succeed in any sporting endeavor...but they suck at the olympic competition, most team sports (aside from cricket apparently), golf, soccer, tennis etc. I have yet to hear of any Indian Martial arts champions be it boxing, wrestling, full contact fighting whatever.

When you mention the word India-let me know the first sport that comes to people's minds when you associate the two. Oh yeah...I forgot Cricket. Have I made my point.

Frost the only one sh*tting you, is yourself, you ought to chill out and get over yourself a little bit Princess.

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princess, LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t

they s*ck at the OL games because they dont care about it, you dont get it do you not everyone cares about the OL games, just like they dont care about american football, or baseball :rolleyes: cricket is the second biggest sport in the world after football and they are very competitive in that. Tennis, polo, weight lifting and golf are four other sports you can associate with India and they have had people do well in those sports on an individual basis, now unlike other countries they dont have the finances to throw around to have full time athletic teams sponsored by the state, but just because they dont compete on the world stage doesn't mean they dont do those sports, and since its a country of 1 billion im sure they get enough competition in house and dont need to go abroad

IF you have ever been to the country, met the people from it or got you head out of your b*tt long enough to read a book on the country you would know they are known for their athletic ability in the areas they find important, cricket, wrestling being two, not those the west or you think of as important :rolleyes:

you have made your point you are right ...just probably not the one you are thinking about

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Originally Posted by sanjuro_ronin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_at_the_Olympics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_at_the_Asian_Games

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India_a...onwealth_Games

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give it up paul, some people dont realise that its a poor country that doesnt have many if any state sponsered sports teams and yet still holds its own in the commonwealth games :rolleyes:

That being said, Jamyang Namgial and Shiva Keshavan at the Vancouver Olympics two years ago were awesome. They almost achieved the same stature of the Jamaican bobsled team.

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Originally Posted by GeneChing

That being said, Jamyang Namgial and Shiva Keshavan at the Vancouver Olympics two years ago were awesome. They almost achieved the same stature of the Jamaican bobsled team.

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Gene, no one likes a know it all! There is already one on this thread, Frost, and he's going through bad curry withdrawals.

I'll give them a google...

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

Gene, no one likes a know it all! There is already one on this thread, Frost, and he's going through bad curry withdrawals.

I'll give them a google...

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I don't always agree with Frost-- but he is correct on this issue. Indian state sponsorship of a wide range of Olympic sports is not extensive. But there is a lot of sporting activity in India.

joy chaudhuri

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

Did I not give them enough credit for Cricket??? LOL Clearly I'm mistaken and dense...maybe you could shed some light on India's athletic prowess on the international stage on any other sport. I'm well aware of India's historical connections with Yoga and martial arts again, last time I checked yoga was not a competitive sport and maybe you could point out some famous Indian athletes what sports they've won renown in?

I'm not trying to disrespect my Indian brothers...I'd love to see them succeed in any sporting endeavor...but they suck at the Olympic competition, most team sports (aside from cricket apparently), golf, soccer, tennis etc. I have yet to hear of any Indian Martial arts champions be it boxing, wrestling, full contact fighting whatever.

When you mention the word India-let me know the first sport that comes to people's minds when you associate the two. Oh yeah...I forgot Cricket. Have I made my point.

Frost the only one sh*tting you, is yourself, you ought to chill out and get over yourself a little bit Princess.

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Be careful you don't confuse priorities for potential. Like I said in my last post, they do their own thing. They don't really care about the Olympics the way other nations use it to measure their greatness. being one of the oldest civilizations on earth, they have their own thing. Also, India has produced some of the worlds greatest wrestlers. I find it hard to believe they haven't medaled in wrestling at least once or twice. Not bad considering how much money they spend on their Olympic goals. Iran produces some deadly grappler's too. I am willing to bet that India spent like 1/100th of the money that the top medaling nations did. Canada proved last year that money = medals. It has far less to do with talent pool. It only takes one great athlete to take a medal. After finding a natural to commit, it comes down to how much access they have to facility and training. And that comes down to money. Always. Money. Not amazing talent pools. Money. All those nations that don't succeed are merely untapped talent pools.

Just cause Indians basically took math to another level unseen in any other culture doesn't mean any other culture wouldn't have been able to do it given the desire and access to do so. Indians liked math, it was their thing. So they came up with the best numeral system we have. they invented basic concepts that went right over the worlds greatest minds before that time.

Jhara "pahlwan" of Pakistan winning over Japan's Anoki:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_sNx...e_gdata_player
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Indian wrestling festival:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEQ0o...e_gdata_player
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sushil Kumar of India beating Russia;s Gogayev in world championship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OQ6ZkQgugc
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
India;s Vijender Singh in boxing championship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q73rC...eature=related
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Commonwealth games boxing- Delhi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijrhf2tVivk
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Kom-women's boxing champion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqkI1V0kP_s
-------------------------------------------------
Akhil Kumar -Indian boxer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHrJ6...eature=related
----------------------------------------------

ETc Etc Etc

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

How annoying is that??? Nothing is more ridiculous then having to give your personal information to a foreign national...I remember this one time this guy wanted my social security number and Driver's license number just to reset my password or change some info on my credit card account...I laughed then canceled my card with that company after sending them a lengthy what for!

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Hebrew Hammer,
You have the right to ask to speak to an American and they have to switch you over. If not they can be fined a lot of money. It's not offensive at all really because there's nothing wrong with wanting to speak with someone you understand. If you don't understand the American operator then you're screwed!

Hebrew hammer has good points. Every country had/has Indiginous people that wrestle. Brazil has them. African countries has them. Mongolia has them. And every country has a history of martial traditions. So what? This does not mean they are known for being good. The Olympics is the borometer for international competition. Hebrew Hammer for President!


If I find an obscure reference about a wrestler from Kazistan who beat an American or Japanese player does that mean Kazistan is know for anything other than the country Borat isn't really from? Watch Frost find a Wikipedia entry about how Kazistan is know for this or that. Lol.


Fine. India doesn't care about the Olympics. Until they compete and win internationally in front of the world all the other stuff is less important when discussing proof about athletic endeavors. The Gurkhas? Really? Mma people make fun of Kung fu people for not competing in open mma and wc for only fighting against themselves. This is the same argument Hebrew hammer is making about India. If they can compete against themselves and be considered good than king fu people are good too based on the same logic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySavage

Hebrew Hammer,
You have the right to ask to speak to an American and they have to switch you over. If not they can be fined a lot of money. It's not offensive at all really because there's nothing wrong with wanting to speak with someone you understand. If you don't understand the American operator then you're screwed!

Hebrew hammer has good points. Every country had/has Indiginous people that wrestle. Brazil has them. African countries has them. Mongolia has them. And every country has a history of martial traditions. So what? This does not mean they are known for being good. The Olympics is the borometer for international competition. Hebrew Hammer for President!


If I find an obscure reference about a wrestler from Kazistan who beat an American or Japanese player does that mean Kazistan is know for anything other than the country Borat isn't really from? Watch Frost find a Wikipedia entry about how Kazistan is know for this or that. Lol.


Fine. India doesn't care about the Olympics. Until they compete and win internationally in front of the world all the other stuff is less important when discussing proof about athletic endeavors. The Gurkhas? Really? Mma people make fun of Kung fu people for not competing in open mma and wc for only fighting against themselves. This is the same argument Hebrew hammer is making about India. If they can compete against themselves and be considered good than king fu people are good too based on the same logic.

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sorry is English your first language because you are jumping all over the place...ill try to answer you

To start with, India has several sports teams who compete internationally, cricket, powerlifting, football, polo etc, and several individual athletes who do well in other sports tennis, badminton golf they dont do well in the Games because they as a country dont have the money to put into the sports, its a poor country with other priorities shock horror

ANd comparing india to wing chun really?? wing chun is mocked because it as a whole dont spar or compete amongst themselves apart from sticky hands which many see as unrealistic...its totally different.......id make the comparison (if i had to) more so to folk style wrestling in the states, its not an international sport but still builds athletes, or sanda sparring.... like the indian wrestlers both compete amongst themselves without going out to a wider combat pool, folkstyle wrestlers have to switch to free style internationally for example, indian wrestlers have to switch to free style as well, some do most cant afford to go out of the country to compete, it comes done to money really not athletic ability

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySavage

Hebrew Hammer,
You have the right to ask to speak to an American and they have to switch you over. If not they can be fined a lot of money. It's not offensive at all really because there's nothing wrong with wanting to speak with someone you understand. If you don't understand the American operator then you're screwed!

Hebrew hammer has good points. Every country had/has Indiginous people that wrestle. Brazil has them. African countries has them. Mongolia has them. And every country has a history of martial traditions. So what? This does not mean they are known for being good. The Olympics is the borometer for international competition. Hebrew Hammer for President!


If I find an obscure reference about a wrestler from Kazistan who beat an American or Japanese player does that mean Kazistan is know for anything other than the country Borat isn't really from? Watch Frost find a Wikipedia entry about how Kazistan is know for this or that. Lol.


Fine. India doesn't care about the Olympics. Until they compete and win internationally in front of the world all the other stuff is less important when discussing proof about athletic endeavors. The Gurkhas? Really? Mma people make fun of Kung fu people for not competing in open mma and wc for only fighting against themselves. This is the same argument Hebrew hammer is making about India. If they can compete against themselves and be considered good than king fu people are good too based on the same logic.

---

Really??? Seriously.... Really?

Your knowledge base and your spelling are horrible.

The Olympics are not and never will be a global yardstick of athletic ability. The Olympics measure one thing and one thing only. How much any given nation wants to win at the Olympics.

Do people here actually believe that Indians are genetically less athletic than other places that score more gold at the Olympics? Because that is what defines athletic ability, after that it simply comes down to desire. I argue that any culture with the desire and means to win gold can and will. Do you really disagree with that? And I'm not talking about India alone, I'm talking about everywhere, anywhere. Unless the whole talent pool is physically defective in some way that prohibits competition in any particular sport they have very similar potential. Ok so a race of Pygmies can't beat the USA basketball team, obviously, but there's no reason why China can't. And compared to the average American they are quite short, but certainly they can find enough tall players and even lil cats that can really ball to win. If China said "we are gonna put every resource at our disposal in to creating a Chinese dream team that will take gold", they could.

And I use China as an example because they are a perfect example of a nation that buys Olympic gold.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Syn7

Really??? Seriously.... Really?

Your knowledge base and your spelling are horrible.

The Olympics are not and never will be a global yardstick of athletic ability. The Olympics measure one thing and one thing only. How much any given nation wants to win at the Olympics.

Do people here actually believe that Indians are genetically less athletic than other places that score more gold at the Olympics? Because that is what defines athletic ability, after that it simply comes down to desire. I argue that any culture with the desire and means to win gold can and will. Do you really disagree with that? And I'm not talking about India alone, I'm talking about everywhere, anywhere. Unless the whole talent pool is physically defective in some way that prohibits competition in any particular sport they have very similar potential. Ok so a race of Pygmies can't beat the USA basketball team, obviously, but there's no reason why China can't. And compared to the average American they are quite short, but certainly they can find enough tall players and even lil cats that can really ball to win. If China said "we are gonna put every resource at our disposal in to creating a Chinese dream team that will take gold", they could.

And I use China as an example because they are a perfect example of a nation that buys Olympic gold.

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I type this from my phone and don't have the luxury of spell check like you. Actually there are barely any spelling errors in my last post. Nice try. Lol.


So the Olympics don't count because governments spend money on their athletes? The athletes still have to work out and perform. I guess the UFC doesn't count either since fighters are paid by sponsors to train all day. UFC fights don't prove anything at all because the fighters are being bankrolled. Guys like kimbo Slice, who did training and fighting on his own, are much better than UFC fighters. Wtf are you talking about? Most countries don't have the money the US and China have to spend on their athletes and they win gold metals in the Olympics. Saddam Hussiens son threatened and killed athletes that didn't perform well. How does a small country like Greece enter the Olympics and win but not India? I'm not saying they're inferior. I'm saying they should get their act together and prove it on the world stage. From what Frost and Syn7 are saying Indiabs don't need state of the art facilities like all these countries that "spoil" their athletes. They can work out in the jungle and be at the same level.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySavage

From what Frost and Syn7 are saying Indiabs don't need state of the art facilities like all these countries that "spoil" their athletes. They can work out in the jungle and be at the same level.

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Good grief!! You are misrepresenting what Frost and Syn7 said. Further-India is not all jungle.
Some stereotyping!
India has not been caught up in the Olympic fever. .. at least not yet. State support has been there for sending teams for international cricket- where India does fairly well. Don Bradman was impressed with Sachin Tendulkar's batting.He may well be the best batsman at the current time.
Bradman was the best of all time. But most people may not know much about Bradman or Tendulkar's excellence. I don't criticize them for that.
There is a lot of wrestling in India...but they are not yet deeply into free style.The wrestling is in specially prepared pits or large dirt grounds- where the footing is different from doing it on mats.
There is a debate in some quarters whether to shift to mats. Indian wrestling training is quite demanding. Karl Gotch was impressed with Indian wrestling and adopted some training methods.
What is the main point that you are making? I am unclear on that. I enjoy the Olympics. State support and/or commercial sponsorships make a huge difference.Little old Cuba put it's chips on boxing and they did well for a long time.. partly for political purposes,
India has not made sporting activity in general- a political activity.
Hebrew Hammer underestimated the amount of sporting activity in India-that's all.No big argument.

joy chaudhuri

On the remark on the UFC- I enjoy watching MMA but just dont participate in it.
There are many forms of excellence in human movement- not all of it is in the Olympics.

I don't fight in the UFC because I don't have sponsors or a popular name. The truth is that I'm probably better than Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, and Royce Gracie combined. I don't need to show it though because I don't care about proving my skills in international cage competitions since I already excel in math, cricket, wrestling in dirt pits, and interior decorating. It's not that I can't compete with these top level fighters it's just that I haven't been hit with the UFC fever yet and I am so good at non-UFC activities so why bother competing at all? I fight all the time in my club.


The above is all sarcasm but I think it's a good analogy. Everyone relax.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySavage

I don't fight in the UFC because I don't have sponsors or a popular name. The truth is that I'm probably better than Matt Hughes, BJ Penn, and Royce Gracie combined. I don't need to show it though because I don't care about proving my skills in international cage competitions since I already excel in math, cricket, wrestling in dirt pits, and interior decorating. It's not that I can't compete with these top level fighters it's just that I haven't been hit with the UFC fever yet and I am so good at non-UFC activities so why bother competing at all? I fight all the time in my club.


The above is all sarcasm but I think it's a good analogy. Everyone relax.

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you probably would think its a good analogy but anyone with half a brain would see the faults in it

firstly we were talking about athletic endeavour not just fighting, and india does compete internationally in several sports

http://superfightleague.com/about_sfl.php
secondly there is MMA inside india (see above) they just havent got the money to travel and compete, so it would better to say im a amature MMA fighter who cant get the backing to become a professional fighter, but im still proving my skills in competition against fully resisting opponents :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SavvySavage

I type this from my phone and don't have the luxury of spell check like you. Actually there are barely any spelling errors in my last post. Nice try. Lol.


So the Olympics don't count because governments spend money on their athletes? The athletes still have to work out and perform. I guess the UFC doesn't count either since fighters are paid by sponsors to train all day. UFC fights don't prove anything at all because the fighters are being bankrolled. Guys like kimbo Slice, who did training and fighting on his own, are much better than UFC fighters. Wtf are you talking about? Most countries don't have the money the US and China have to spend on their athletes and they win gold metals in the Olympics. Saddam Hussiens son threatened and killed athletes that didn't perform well. How does a small country like Greece enter the Olympics and win but not India? I'm not saying they're inferior. I'm saying they should get their act together and prove it on the world stage. From what Frost and Syn7 are saying Indiabs don't need state of the art facilities like all these countries that "spoil" their athletes. They can work out in the jungle and be at the same level.

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last time i checked Greece still wasnt trying to get basic water hygine to 1billion people and banish Leprosy to the history books, simply pt the indian government has better things to spend its money on...so does Greece now lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

I must admit this is a curious endeavor, I don't see this much as a cultural fit...India a country not known for its athleticism....or violent sports really, although they love themselves some religious violence. I think India finally won its first olympic medal in decades during that last summer games.

I think India would be a natural ally of the USA, I'm not sure why we haven't embraced them more to counter balance China's rising power.

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Lets try to get this back to the original issue, shall we?
IN regards to MMA and combat sports the fact is that India has a long and very distinguished history in "combat sports" in particular wrestling.
Regardless of their involvement at the international sport competitive level, their history is full of martial arts history.

And like I said at the beginning of this thread, Dana White said "India was his other big target market alongside China." You don't need to be a genius in world economics to understand why.

Quote:

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'Ultimate Fighter' expected to hit Pacific Rim, India soon
By MMAjunkie.com
Updated 3/1/2012 6:54 PM

With the first live season of The Ultimate Fighter kicking off next week in the United States and the first international edition of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's reality series currently in production in Brazil, the focus now turns to new locales.

On deck are Australia, India and the Philippines, said Dana White, president of UFC parent Zuffa.

"They're up next week," White said Thursday at a UFC on FX 2 press conference in Sydney. "We just need to finalize the (broadcast) deals."

TUF 15 is the first season of the seven-year-old series to air on UFC's new cable partner, FX, following a long and fruitful run on Spike TV. Fuel TV officials have confirmed TUF: Brazil will air on the Fox-owned cable station, though details haven't been finalized.

The show airs locally on Globo, which has quickly become a destination for UFC in Brazil.

That country has become an hotbed for mixed martial arts, and two recent pay-per-view events in Rio de Janeiro laid the ground work for a bigger UFC presence. But after that, the attention turns to other new countries.

Australia, for example, hosts its third event in two years with this weekend's UFC on FX 2 show. With a quickly growing regional scene, more and more talent is coming out of the country. TUF: Australia would identify some of the best and open a door to competing in the UFC along the likes of Australians of James Te Huna, Kyle Noke and George Sotiropoulos.

The same goes for India and the Philippines, which have never hosted a UFC show but long been on the organization's radar. Currently, no events are scheduled for either country, but a TUF season could set the groundwork.

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for interest ancient and modern wrestling in india they did quite well in the last commonwealth games medaling in most weight catagories
http://vimeo.com/11128479

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Frost

for interest ancient and modern wrestling in india they did quite well in the last commonwealth games medaling in most weight catagories
http://vimeo.com/11128479

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yes they did.

joy

Quote:

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Originally Posted by GeneChing

And like I said at the beginning of this thread, Dana White said "India was his other big target market alongside China." You don't need to be a genius in world economics to understand why.

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This is yet to be seen...my guess is that it won't be as successful here...as others have stated, India has tons of potential in a multitude of areas and has not realized them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hebrew Hammer

This is yet to be seen...my guess is that it won't be as successful here...as others have stated, India has tons of potential in a multitude of areas and has not realized them.

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Where is "here"? You mean India? I think they have already accomplished a ton in health and fitness in general and have a long history of martial arts and combat simulation type games.

I think time will prove you wrong. MMA will sweep across the Asias and eventually every country in the world that can afford it will have it. It's such a universal concept that any culture can adapt. Unlike baseball, basketball etc, Punching someone in the face then suplexing their ass is as international as it gets. It taps into one the very few root desires in human beings which also happens to be the most repressed(for obvious reasons) thus creating a huge market for organized carnage of any manner really. But with MMA you have that factor AND the athletic skill angle and it's a good fit in that every nation can adapt their TMA to work with MMA rules. A small group of talent will maintain it's credibility while it's financed by "the mobs" dark side.

A few years from now the MMA world in India will be exponentially larger and if we still post here somebody can drag this one out and show you. Other than that there isn't much more to say about it. I think it will be successful in India and even more successful in china and the other smaller south eastern Asian nations. It's already pretty big in Thailand coz MMA cats go there to train all the time. They have tons of MMA schools there now. Unless some major global suppression occurs, MMA will continue to explode giving fans all the drama and chaos their little minds crave and it will continue to be a source of interest for those who really understand it and appreciate it for what it is, the true torch bearers. That core is strong and talented and I can't see them getting shut down anywhere where people are considered "free" and there is some sense of a fair economy. I do not expect MMA to blow up in N Korea the way it is and will continue to grow in S Korea, for obvious reasons. Indians have a decent say in their lives compared to a lot of the areas around them and they want MMA and they will have MMA. Mark my words. Call me out on it down the road.

If you don't know Mary, she won bronze in London (flyweight). She has a stellar boxing record.
Here's her website.

Quote:

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Million dollar Mary
Mary Kom who made India proud at the London Olympics this year, has recently been chosen as the brand ambassador of a mixed martial arts initiative.
Mumbai
Asira Tarannum

Enjoying her new found celebrity status, Mary Kom spoke to CS about her favourite action hero, her twins and why she won’t foray into Bollywood:

Height of glory
I feel very happy and proud of myself. After winning the medal, I am so bored of answering the same questions again and again. Yes, I feel very nice and honoured to know that I could do this much for my country. Life has not changed much after the Olympics. The only difference is that I hear or read my name more often. At every event, people chant Mary Kom, Mary Kom and that feels great. At the same time, my responsibilities have increased though.
WHO: Mary Kom
WHAT: Talking about life after Olympics
PIC/ Neha Parekh

http://images.mid-day.com/2012/oct/marry-kom.jpg

Fists of fury
I won’t encourage my twins to take up boxing. I will do so only if they themselves are totally interested in doing so. Otherwise, I will want them to chose a safe sport, where they are not beaten black and blue. Mary Kom who made India proud at the London Olympics this year, has recently been chosen as the brand ambassador of a mixed martial arts initiative. Enjoying her new found celebrity status, Mary Kom spoke to CS about her favourite action hero, her twins and why she won’t foray into Bollywood:


Height of glory I feel very happy and proud of myself. After winning the medal, I am so bored of answering the same questions again and again. Yes, I feel very nice and honoured to know that I could do this much for my country. Life has not changed much after the Olympics. The only difference is that I hear or read my name more often. At every event, people chant Mary Kom, Mary Kom and that feels great. At the same time, my responsibilities have increased though.

Fists of fury I won’t encourage my twins to take up boxing. I will do so only if they themselves are totally interested in doing so. Otherwise, I will want them to chose a safe sport, where they are not beaten black and blue.

Women power
I have no message for the women of our country. I hope that by now they know who Mary Kom is, and what she did. I think the one thing they can perhaps emulate is my passion to do something for my country. Maar khaney ka nahi, sabko maarney ka!

Box into Bollywood
Suniel Shetty is my favourite action hero, and I was completely starstruck when I met him at a boxing event. I took so many pictures of him with me. No, I have no plans of entering into Bollywood. I can’t act, at all!

The mommy in Mary
I worked hard and reached where I am today. I struggled a lot. I have to look after my family and kids but they are very supportive. In the midst of intense practice sessions, I have to take out time to be a mother. They find it amusing to see cameras around me, and my pictures in the newspapers. My twins are quite naughty (laughs out loud).

Looking at tomorrow
I will continue to pursue professional boxing. In fact, I am about to open my own boxing academy. I hope I can produce a few more Mary Koms for India (laughs). I want to encourage youngsters, especially women to take up boxing. Anything that empowers women and makes them independent is good.

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If you don't know about the Delhi gang-rape, well, heed world news a little more; it's been all over the news. :rolleyes: It's already come up on our Bollywood Kung-Fu!! thread.

Quote:

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Mary Kom asks women to learn martial arts to defend themselves
Jan 5, 2013

Darjeeling: Women should take up martial arts to defend themselves from incidents such as the Delhi gangrape, Olympic bronze medalist boxer M C Mary Kom has said and given the example of a rickshaw driver whom she taught a lesson for making lewd remarks at her.

“Martial arts should not be taken up only as a sport. I urge all women to take up martial arts so that they can defend themselves to some extent,” Mary said.

http://www.firstpost.com/wp-content/...ters_23May.jpg
“If I can box why can’t you all? I urge women of this region to take up the sport,” she said. Mary said “I had beaten up a rickshawala sometime ago. When he started using filthy language, I lost my cool,” she, said, but did not specify when and where the incident took place. Mary was speaking at the Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival here on Thursday.

Mary’s husband K Kom, who was present, said “It doesn’t feel nice to see my wife getting beaten up. But after so many years of boxing, we are getting used to the fact that she is involved in a sport.”

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Here's another political endorsement of martial arts for women in India, just for reference.

Quote:

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Bihar CM in favour of martial arts training for girls
Last Updated: Saturday, January 05, 2013, 21:30

Patna: Concerned over surge in cases of atrocities against women in the country, including the recent brutal gang-rape of paramedic student in Delhi, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that martial arts for self-defence would be taught to girls in all the schools in Bihar.

"Martial art training will be provided to girls in all the schools and colleges to help them take on anti-socials," the CM said amid applause from the Dalai Lama and delegates from 17 countries attending a three-day-long International Buddhist Sangha conference here.

Besides ahimsa and peace, Buddhism contributed significantly by developing martial art for self-defence of monks during course of their journey world over for propagating teachings of Lord Buddha, he added.

Kumar said that after the launch of his ambitious cycle-scheme for school girls in 2007, there were apprehensions about the vulnerability of these girls while travelling alone. Following which, the state government decided to provide them training in self defence through martial arts.

The CM noted that more than one lakh school girls have already acquired martial arts training till now, and it will be further extended to all schools in the state, marking an important step toward empowerment of women.

Buddhism which originated from Bihar took great initiatives for empowerment of women, Kumar said, adding that Lord Buddha had permitted women becoming sanyasin at sangha at Vaishali, the world's first republic.

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Neither Savy savage nor Hebrew Hammer know much about Indian martial arts!!
I pass.

How come U.S. MMA doesn't have actress brand ambassadors? :rolleyes:

Quote:

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Jacqueline Fernandez Joins Mixed Martial Arts League
January 27, 2017 Author: Gaurav Shingala

http://cdnimage.vishwagujarat.com/wp...60754/3156.jpg

Actress Jacqueline Fernandez has been announced as the brand ambassador of Goa Pirates for the Super Fight League (SFL), a mixed martial arts (MMA) league.

Jacqueline along with her brothers, Ryan and Warren, has also become the new co-owner of the team.

The league, which began on January 20, already has celebrities like Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal, Salim and Sulaiman, Tiger Shroff and Randeep Hooda co-owning Mumbai Maniacs, Delhi Heroes, UP Nawabs, Bengaluru Tigers and Haryana Sultans teams respectively.

“It is with great pride that I welcome Jacqueline to the Super Fight League. I have always believed Indian MMA needs an innovative and experimental format to bring the fans to the stadiums and in front of television,” Bill Dosanjh, SFL’s CEO and Principal Founder, said in a statement.

Jacqueline says she is happy to “be able to support so many things in this one opportunity”

“There’s the family aspect, this thrilling team sport as well as the woman competing that demonstrates woman empowerment. I really admire the discipline it takes to compete and the courage and confidence it inspires in others,” she added.

IANS

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