Kolhapur's Shahu Khasbaug maidan set for wrestling duels

KOLHAPUR: The Shahu Khasbaug maidan, a famous wrestling arena in Kolhapur, which was built in 1912 with the efforts of Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj, will witness wrestling matches again on January 7.
On the occasion of the 75th birthday of Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj of the royal family of Kolhapur, a wrestling tournament will be held at the arena. Renowned national wrestlers are expected to take part in it.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar will attend the event and felicitate Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj with a silver mace. Guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar and higher education minister Chandrakant Patil will also be present for the event at Shahu Khasbaug maidan.
No major tournament was conducted at the maidan for two years due to Covid pandemic. The wrestling fraternity and wrestling lovers are upbeat over the tournament.
To take a review of the preparations at the venue, member of the royal family Malojiraje Chhatrapati and KMC administrator Dr Kadambari Balkawade recently visited the ground and discussed about removing the grass from the audience gallery on the ground, light arrangement, cutting trees, putting red soil in the ground, repairing the stage, painting the board and filling the cracks in the stone wall.
Balkawade has told the officials to complete the work immediately. Grass cutting, trees, bushes cutting and lighting work has been started and will be completed within the next two days.