Mat vs Mud: The conflict that ended Jadhav’s Olympic legacy

“A very good wrestler from Satara or Kolhapur can earn around a crore in 2-3 years by fighting the open mud-bouts. There’s not much incentive financially, except the big competitions, to be good on the mat,” says Nitin Rajge, 22, of the Jilha Taalim Sangh in Satara. “Other state governments….” the grouse is spilled out, as other wrestlers concur on the lack of finacial incentive and encouragement, for mat-bouts. The taalims of Kolhapur and Satara brim with enthusiasts, but as Rajge says, “We just prefer our traditional style.” Grappling with the mat and shoes then becomes difficult.

While Jadhav passed on his tips to the immediate generation of wrestlers following him, India lost out on an opportunity to make the best of his expertise though he was a qualified NIS coach. One of the few pehelwans to relish a challenge both on mat and mud, Jadhav would have groaned at the total lack of ambition amongst future wrestlers from Maharashtra.

Son Ranjit Jadhav has started the KD Jadhav foundation — aiming at 2020 to tap the talent from the traditional stronghold and push them to excel on mat, but the challenge is daunting. “They become Maharashtra Kesari, and their aspirations end at Hind Kesari at most. Otherwise, they are content with a procession, a lakh rupees, a car and then patronage of an MLA. But they need to look beyond that,” he says. “My father had the drive to win a medal. Money wasn’t even secondary — it came, or didn’t come, way later.”