KARACHI: Wrestlers from across Pakistan’s southern Sindh province battled on Tuesday in the final match of an ancient form of wrestling called Malakhra that has been played for the last 5,000 years in the regions that make up present day Pakistan and India.
In Karachi, Malakhra contests, often also held in Iran and Afghanistan, started in 1978, said Gul Sher Sheedi, a 61-year-old former wrestler who supervised Tuesday’s match.
Gul Sher Sheedi, a former wrestler who supervises Malakhra wrestling matches, speaks to Arab News in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 15, 2020 (AN Photo by S.A. Babar)
Wrestler Tedi Sheedi pushes his opponent Khairuddin alias Talib to the ground during a Malakhra wrestling match at the Mohammad Football stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 15, 2020 (AN Photo by S.A. Babar)
A Malakhra match starts with both wrestlers tying a twisted cloth around the opponent's waist and then trying to throw the contender to the ground. The game spans three days, with three wrestlers ultimately bagging the first, second and third prize after a finale.
A twisted cloth used to tie opponents is seen at a Malakhra wrestling match at the Mohammad Football stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 15, 2020 (AN Photo by S.A. Babar)
Wrestler Tedi Sheedi collects money from spectators after defeating his opponent at a Malakhra wrestling match at the Mohammad Football stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 15, 2020 (AN Photo by S.A. Babar)
On Tuesday, though hundreds gathered at Karachi’s Mohammadan football stadium to watch the final match of the season, Sheedi lamented that the game received little attention in a cricket-obsessed city and country.
“The tournament is being held on the occasion of the death anniversary of Hazrat Syed Mahmood Shah,” Sheedi said, referring to a local saint.
Khairuddin alias Talib, who defeated his opponent Tedi Sheedi, said the three winners would get cash prizes but the other contestants would go home with “nothing.”
“We entertain people, we have kept this old game alive. But what do we get?” he said. “We get nothing, neither money, nor the limelight.”
A Malakhra wrestling match is underway at the Mohammad Football stadium in Karachi, Pakistan, on December 15, 2020 (AN Photo by S.A. Babar)
