New wrestling club in Walsall aiming to boost area - and produce future champions

Abdul Rahman set up the club for youngsters aged between five and 11 of all backgrounds holding classes at the British Judo National Training Centre at the Walsall Campus of the University of Wolverhampton.

He has linked up with Ranjit Singh from the long established Wolverhampton Wrestling Club with the aim of creating future national and international champions.

But they also said the sport helps teach children discipline, confidence, self-esteem and respect which they can take into other aspects of their life.

Ranjit also teaches national-style Kabaddi and hopes his members will be competing for medals at the Kabaddi World Cup which will be held in the West Midlands in 2025 – the first time it is taking place outside of Asia.

The efforts of both Abdul and Ranjit have earned praise from ward councillors, who say the club is what the area needs.

Abdul said: “I got in touch with Ranjit about five months ago. I saw the enormous amount of talent he has and his background so invited him to help set up a club in Walsall and he liked the idea of it and the rest is history.

“The age group we aim for is 5-11 years. Ranjit is also doing the Kabaddi. He brings a lot of his trainers who help train the youngsters.

"We’ve had up to about 24 children in one session. We want to grow it and want more people to know and we’re looking for support and sponsorship.

“I did a bit of research on that and found out there is interest there. There is an Asian community in the area and Asian heritage is partly in wrestling through the Kabaddi sport and so I thought it would be something different."

He added: “I’ve done it myself. Wrestling is the real strategic, high energy and challenging sport.

“I think it’s very important, not just from a physical viewpoint but a mental viewpoint as well. It builds confidence, self-esteem and gives children knowledge of a sport so historical and now Olympic based as well.

“It brings children together, giving them extra friends. I’ve seen children who came in very shy and timid but who are really confident now.

“Hopefully that’ll help them in all walks of life whether its education, spirituality, whatever they choose to do.

“We’d love to create Olympic and world champions. That’s where it all starts, at small club level. I want to establish the club here in Walsall and make it something that sticks and is popular.

“I want children to want to take that next step and put them in competition. And that’s what Ranjit does. He is very linked up with promoters. He builds up skills and gets them ready.”

Wolverhampton Wrestling Club was set up by his father and uncle who were training and competing in India before emigrating to England in the 1960s.

They formed the club, now based at the Cannock Road Sikh Temple in 1972, with Ranjit now running it.

He said the sport was very much in his family’s hearts with his brother and cousin even competing in the Olympics.

Ranjit said: “I’ve been involved in the sport for as long as I can remember.

“Abdul and I got together through a mutual friend and he recommended me as a wrestling coach. He told me what we wanted to do and I thought this sounds good to me.

“We run pathways from grassroots all the way to Olympic level. We take our kids from the age of four. We do a lot of work with MMA.

“Two years ago, we took on a new sport, national style Kabaddi which is indoor. We’ve got two teams – Wolverhampton Wolf Pack and Walsall Hunters.

“The Kabaddi World Cup is coming early 2025. For the economy and for the sport – it will be huge.

“It’s the new kid on the block and we’re looking to take it into schools. Hopefully in the next six months we’re looking to set up an inter-club league in the build-up to the World Cup."

He added: “It’s the first time it has left Asia so to have it here is massive and it’s in the heart of here. We’ve got our guys gearing up for that.

“The plans for us are to have a new facility built for us and set up a centre of excellence for wrestling and Kabaddi.

“It’s a very disciplined sport because of the hard nature of the training. But with discipline comes values about being respectful, humble and being confident.

“Not everyone will be a national or world champion but what it gives you is that discipline. And that is what they take out into their lives.

“This is why it’s important to have set ups like this and gives them a sense of family and community with role models for them to aspire to.

“We just churn out role models and it’s key for parents to be involved in this and understand the importance of what we do. We are family.”

Paddock ward councillor Nick Gandham said: “I think it’s great for Walsall to have this which includes people from all backgrounds and just what we need now.

“We have so many issues currently and this sort of environment takes young people off the streets and gives them something to do. This is what we should be encouraging.

“And we have people running this for the love of the sport off their own backs from a charitable perspective. We need funding for these organisations and provide these facilities for young people.”

Anyone who can help with sponsorship or is interested in joining the club can contact Abdul on 07506 072696 or Ranjit on 07413 606999.