Pro Panja League Expands to Assam; 18 State Armwrestlers Selected for World Armwrestling Championships 2026

Pro Panja League Announces Expansion to Assam Ahead of World Championships

GUWAHATI, July 3, 2026: The Pro Panja League and the People's Armwrestling Federation India (PAFI) have officially announced the league's arrival in Assam while introducing 18 armwrestlers from the state who have earned places in India's contingent for the 47th World Armwrestling and 28th Para Armwrestling Championships, scheduled to be held in New Delhi later this year.

The announcement was made during a media interaction at Hotel Palacio in Guwahati by actor and Pro Panja League Co-founder Parvinn Dabass, PAFI President and Asian Armwrestling Federation Vice President Preeti Jhangiani, and President of the People's Armwrestling Association Assam Shri Kailash Sarma. The trio also interacted with the Assam members of Team India.

18 Assam Armwrestlers Named in Team India

The athletes selected from Assam for the Indian contingent are:

• Debangana Bordoloi
• Sumit Mali
• Ujjal Gogoi
• Dimpal Kalita
• Payal Bhowmick
• Anisha Sarma
• Kumalika Das
• Ismritom Boruah
• Raj Hazarika
• Rituraj Pandey
• Bittu Kalita
• Parishmita Gogoi
• Anju Kumari
• Monoj Debnath
• Kritika Das
• Nayan Bora
• Diganta Kumar Phukan
• Mrinmoy Patgiri

Among them, Parishmita Gogoi, Payal Bhowmick and Rituraj Pandey have also secured coveted Golden Tickets to the Pro Panja League.

India to Host World Armwrestling Championships

The 47th World Armwrestling and 28th Para Armwrestling Championships will take place at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in New Delhi from 26 October to 7 November 2026. More than 2,000 athletes representing over 75 countries are expected to participate.

The same venue hosted the Asian Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championship in 2025, where India finished second in the overall medal standings with an impressive haul of 176 medals. For Assam's selected athletes, the upcoming event presents a rare opportunity to compete for world honours on home soil.

PAFI Backs Assam Athletes

"Hosting the World Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championships in New Delhi is a landmark moment for the sport in India, and the athletes from Assam will be right at the centre of it. When India won 176 medals at the Asian Championship last year, this region contributed some of our strongest performances. In October, over 2,000 athletes from more than 75 countries will compete on Indian soil, and our Assam players will have the honour of taking on the world in front of a home crowd. PAFI will back them with everything they need in the months ahead," said Preeti Jhangiani, President of PAFI and Vice President of the Asian Armwrestling Federation.

Pro Panja League Eyes Northeast Growth

"Every time we have held trials or events in the Northeast, the depth of talent has surprised us. Assam does not need to be sold on armwrestling. The sport is already in its blood. What it needed was a professional structure, and that is what the Pro Panja League brings, with proper rankings, prize money and a route into the national squad. Bringing the league to Assam has been on our minds for a long time, and I am delighted that three of the athletes we are introducing today have already won Golden Tickets to the Pro Panja League," said Pro Panja League Co-founder Parvinn Dabass.

Historic Moment for Assam Armwrestling

"Our wrestlers have trained in modest halls and local akharas for years, winning at the national level without much notice. Today, that changes. The Pro Panja League's arrival gives Assam's armwrestlers a stage in their own state, and seeing 18 of our boys and girls in India colours for a World Championship is a moment of genuine pride for every sports lover in Assam," said Shri Kailash Sarma, President of the People's Armwrestling Association Assam.

The Guwahati announcement forms part of the Pro Panja League's strategy to expand beyond metropolitan cities ahead of the World Championships. The selected Assam athletes will now enter an intensive preparation phase, with the league and PAFI supporting their training leading up to the global event in New Delhi.

About Pro Panja League

The Pro Panja League is India's professional armwrestling competition, co-founded by Parvinn Dabass. The league has transformed the traditional sport of panja from local akharas into a nationally televised professional competition, providing athletes with opportunities to compete professionally and build sustainable careers.

About People's Armwrestling Federation India (PAFI)

PAFI is India's governing body for armwrestling and para armwrestling, led by President Preeti Jhangiani. The federation hosted the Asian Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championship in 2025 and will organize the 47th World Armwrestling and 28th Para Armwrestling Championships in New Delhi from 26 October to 7 November 2026.

(Inputs from Press Release)