Bhayandar's 15-year-old Shree Ganesh Akhara that's produced state champions, faces closure as Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation threatens to increase rent nearly 10 times
Shree Ganesh Akhara does not feature on Google Maps, but it's impossible not to find it. Ask any local in Bhayandar West, and they will be quick to help you with directions to the place. This is how we make it to the spot on a sultry weekday morning. Situated on a street near Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Maidan on Uttan Road, the place has earned its way to recognition by producing renowned national and state-level wrestlers like Sneha Aagwane, Akshay Mane, Vaibhav Mane, Nayan Kamble and Komal Desai.
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The akhara currently provides free training to its 70 participants, 15 of them girls — two of whom are training for Mission Olympics 2020. Pic/Falguni Agrawal
Established in 2002 to nurture local talent in kushti, the academy helmed by trainer Vasant Patil, imparts free training to young aspiring wrestlers, most of them hailing from underprivileged backgrounds. "The centre was initially funded by then MLA Ganesh Naik. The idea was to revive the traditional sport, which was on the verge of extinction in the region," says Patil, also a national-level referee. However, earlier this month, the organisers received a notice from the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), which stated that they had decided to classify the akhara space, owned by the civic corporation as a commercial entity. The ruling came following a government notification issued last month, and included several properties, including a few other community halls in the area.
Deepak Khambit, executive engineer with the Public Works Department (PWD) of the MBMC said that they were powerless against the diktat of the government. "We had allotted nominal rates to the akhara, but the government has refused the proposal and instead decided to levy market rates for all the properties they hold in the area," he said.
After a decade of charging an annual fee of Rs 18,000, a tender has been floated to hike the base annual rent to Rs 1.52 lakh. There are also plans to handover the akhara to the highest bidder in an auction process. "If a bidder is investing so much in the venture, he will expect returns, which means we will have to start charging fees for the training. None of the children come from families, who can afford that," says Milind Limaye, journalist and chairman of the Mira-Bhayandar Kushtigir Sangh. Currently, the akhara organisers are in a limbo over its future.
Shree Ganesh Akhara currently trains 70 children, of whom 15 are girls. Training at the academy takes place twice a day, with the first class beginning as early as 5 am. Pics/Falguni Agrawal
Catch 'em young
When we step inside the akhara, there are around 50 children, between the ages of five and 15, huddled around a 47"x47" wrestling mat. Under the watchful eye of a coach, two young pahelwans enter the arena for a bout of free-style wrestling, where one typically wins by pinning the opponent's shoulders and hips to the ground. Till about a fortnight ago, there was no mat to practise on. All sessions were held in the adjoining mud floor. "While practising in the mud provides better grip, the mat is mandatory, if we want to compete internationally," says trainer Namdeo Matekar.
Of the 70 children enrolled here, 15 are girls. Manisha Shelar, 13, joined the academy a year ago and will soon head to the Jog Maharaj Vyayamshala, a residential wrestling centre set up by international wrestling referee Dinesh Gund in Alandi, Pune, exclusively for women. It is currently one of the main centres in the state to train women wrestlers for Mission Olympics 2020 and 2024. "I had seen kushti matches in my hometown Satara, and I remember being fascinated by it. I wanted to learn the sport, but never had the courage to approach my father," she recalls. The situation took a favourable turn when local coach Rupchand Mane, while canvassing for students who could be trained, approached the Shelars. "He said to my father, 'If you have sons, why don't you send them for training at the centre'. In response, my father said he has two daughters. Impressed, Mane sir said, 'Even better, send them over,'" she laughs. Since then, Manisha's father, a mathadi kamgar (a head loader), has enrolled both his daughters in the academy.
The classes are held twice a day through the year. While college students attend the morning batch from 5 to 8 am, the younger kids make it to the evening classes. "Sundays are reserved for screening of international matc-hes, so they get a sense of how things work," says Matekar. Sunil Desai, a constable with the Bhayandar police station, has been moonlighting as a wrestling coach for over 10 years with the academy. In fact, his story seems straight out of the Bollywood flick, Dangal, a biographical sports drama based on the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two daughters, Geeta and Babita. "When the academy was set up, there were a handful of children, mostly boys, except my daughter, Komal. There was no shower facility so she had to walk home in the mud-caked avatar," he recalls. There's still no shower room for girls, but that's something Desai is trying to help arrange. Like Manisha, Desai's daughter, too, is being trained at the Jog Maharaj Vyayamshala.
The constable owes his daughter's success to his superiors. "They have been understanding enough to approve leave when I had to take Komal for matches in other states like Haryana and Chandigarh."
Constable Sunil Desai
An uncertain future
The rumour of the academy shutting down has many parents worried. Autorickshaw driver Tatyaso Patil, who once aspired to become a wrestler, wants to see his son Ganesh fulfill the dream. "Ganesh has a genuine love for the sport, and his trainers say he has immense potential too. But, for that, the academy needs to continue running," he says. Another parent Ashok Harade is hopeful that the centre will remain afloat. "The organisers have already approached authorities. I'm confident the results will be positive," he says. In fact, the news has reached the kids, too, who have been throwing uncomfortable questions at the trainers. "I want them to focus on the game, so I keep assuring them nothing will happen," says Desai.
Bharat Yadav, a national wrestling champion and Olympic wrestler Narsingh Yadav's first coach, says it's an expensive sport where great emphasis is laid on the diet. "The least the state can do is give concessions to such spaces that nurture talent."
For now, Patil and Limaye are trying to reason with authorities at the MBMC to reverse the decision. "We set up the centre after braving many hardships. There was a time when no parent wanted to send their child, and now they approach us. We can't let everybody's efforts go waste," says Patil. "But, if push comes to shove, we will have to shut it down," says Limaye.
Rs 18K Amount the academy is currently paying as rent each year
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