Kamothe turned into a vibrant wrestling arena on Monday evening as thousands of sports enthusiasts gathered to witness the grand “Pareshsheth Thakur Kesari 2026” wrestling tournament organised on the occasion of corporator Paresh Thakur’s birthday.
The large-scale event, jointly organised by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha Kamothe and the Raigad District Wrestling Association, was held at the sprawling Loknete Ramsheth Thakur School ground in Sector 6 and featured several prominent wrestlers from Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Nepal and other regions.
With packed spectator galleries, energetic commentary, traditional drum beats and several high-profile wrestling bouts, the event created an atmosphere many attendees described as resembling a “mini Maharashtra Kesari”.
The tournament followed a series of other programmes organised on the occasion of Paresh Thakur’s birthday, including the “Pareshdada Cup 2026” night cricket tournament in Panvel and a special animal health camp at Panvel Panjarpol Gaushala.
Senior leaders attend inauguration ceremony
The tournament was inaugurated by former MP Loknete Ramsheth Thakur, Maval MP Shrirang Barne and BJP state council member Arunsheth Bhagat.
Among the prominent leaders present during the event were Fisheries and Ports Development Minister Nitesh Rane, BJP Maharashtra general secretary MLA Niranjan Davkhare, BJP Maharashtra secretary MLA Prashant Thakur and MLA Mahesh Landge.
Several elected representatives, local office-bearers, wrestling personalities and sports organisers also attended the event, including BJP district president Avinash Koli, Mayor Nitin Patil, former opposition leader Pritam Mhatre, Leader of the House Adv. Prakash Binedar, Standing Committee chairman Baban Mukadam and BJYM district president Anand Dhawale.
Paresh Thakur was also felicitated during the programme, with supporters and attendees extending birthday wishes amid loud cheers from the audience.
Top wrestlers headline major bouts
The competition featured nearly 75 wrestling matches involving national and international-level wrestlers.
Among the headline bouts:
- Rustam-e-Hind wrestler Sikandar Shaikh defeated Punjab wrestler Lali Chamkor
- Up-Maharashtra Kesari wrestler Kiran Bhagat defeated Baga Singh
- Triple Maharashtra Kesari Vijay Choudhary defeated Hind Kesari Sandeep Kumar
- The bout between Maharashtra Kesari Dada Shelke and Up-Maharashtra Kesari Mauli Kokate ended in a draw
Women’s wrestling contests also drew strong audience interest:
- National medallist Ekta Sharma defeated Amegha Gharat
- Vedantika Pawar defeated Palak Yadav
- Nepal wrestler Ruby Thapa defeated Uttarakhand wrestler Komal
Winners of the main competitions were honoured with ceremonial maces and cash prizes.
Organisers had announced a total prize pool of Rs 15,55,555 for the tournament.
‘Event reflects growing popularity of wrestling in Konkan’
Addressing the gathering, Minister Nitesh Rane praised the scale of the event and the public turnout, stating that such grand wrestling tournaments are often associated with western Maharashtra, but the Kamothe event demonstrated that the Konkan region’s enthusiasm for the sport was equally strong.
MP Shrirang Barne said both Prashant Thakur and Paresh Thakur had continued the tradition of public outreach and social engagement established under the leadership of Loknete Ramsheth Thakur.
MLA Niranjan Davkhare remarked that the large turnout reflected the deep interest in traditional wrestling even in the Konkan region.
Traditional sport and young talent receive platform
Organisers stated that apart from established wrestlers, several emerging and rural athletes were also given an opportunity to compete during the event.
They added that the initiative aimed to preserve Maharashtra’s traditional wrestling culture while also encouraging young athletes and creating a larger sporting platform in the Panvel region.
The tournament venue was equipped with large seating arrangements, medical facilities, security systems and organised event management, which drew appreciation from attendees throughout the evening.
