Multan
Traditional sports like wrist wrestling or its variants may not be part of local governments’ sports calendars but they still attract countless youngsters whenever such contests being held annually. One such event, a ‘Gisni’ contest, was held last Sunday at Dhoray Wala in Qasba Raja Ram of tahsil Shujabad that attracted around 160 wrestlers from across Punjab.
Two wrestlers participate in a contest. One of them tightly holds the wrist of the rival with both hands and the other is required to liberate the wrist in a demonstration of skill and power. The wrestlers then swap their role for the second contest. The contest is levelled if both succeed in liberating their wrist from rival. However, most of the time spectators encircling the arena, shout for more attempts to filter out a winner. Eighty(80) contests were held but most of them ended without a result and contestants were declared equal contenders.
Seraiki speaking people call it ‘Gisni’ and in Punjabi it is called ‘Veeni Phadna’, says Fayyaz Arain, a wrestler who is organizing such events for the last many years, taking forward the legacy of his father Malik Shakir Arain who also used to organize this event every year. Such contests are popular among youth, particularly those from rural background and are held in different districts of South Punjab at different times. Traditional sports events are usually held at Melas and festivals in rural areas or on the occasion of Urs ceremonies of saints.—APP
