Kushti Association
Preserving India's Wrestling Heritage
Connecting wrestlers, akharas, coaches and communities while preserving the tradition and future of Indian Kushti.
Tradition • Discipline • Competition • Community
Featured Event
Wrestling Gold Cup 2026
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
K. D. Singh Babu Stadium
View Event →Our Mission
Preserving Tradition, Supporting Athletes
The Kushti Association is dedicated to promoting and preserving the rich heritage of kushti wrestling, and to building a strong, connected wrestling community across India.
Our mission is to preserve traditional wrestling while actively supporting the athletes who carry it forward — through training, competition, and community.
What We Do
Our Programs & Activities
Training Programs
Structured coaching for aspiring wrestlers and coaches, rooted in traditional akhara discipline.
Community Engagement
Connecting wrestlers, enthusiasts and akharas across India's kushti community.
Cultural Events & Tournaments
Organising dangals, tournaments and exhibitions that celebrate kushti's living culture.
Educational Workshops
Workshops covering wrestling history, technique, and the traditions behind the sport.
Health & Fitness Initiatives
Promoting fitness and wellness through wrestling-based training and conditioning.
Leadership
राजेश कुमार सिंह
कुश्ती एसोसिएशन, सचिव
Leading the Kushti Association's work to organise, support and grow traditional wrestling across the region.
About the AssociationThe association in numbers
From Mitti to Modern Wrestling
Kushti Heritage
The words and traditions behind the sport, passed down through generations of akharas.
Kushti कुश्ती
Kushti is the traditional form of wrestling practised across the Indian subcontinent, contested on a prepared earth surface rather than a mat.
Pehlwani पहलवानी
Pehlwani is the discipline, training system and way of life of a kushti wrestler, covering diet, celibacy, conditioning and daily akhara practice.
Akhara अखाड़ा
An akhara is a traditional wrestling school and training ground where wrestlers live, train and compete under a guru.
Talim तालीम
Talim is the Maharashtrian term for a wrestling gymnasium, most famously the historic talims of Kolhapur.
Garadi Mane गरडी मने
Garadi mane is the Kannada term for a traditional wrestling house, central to the wrestling culture of northern Karnataka.
Dangal दंगल
A dangal is an open wrestling competition, usually held on earth over one or two days, where wrestlers are paired by weight and reputation and winners take a cash purse.
Watch
Videos from the Mat
Recent videos from our events and gatherings.
Latest
From the Blog
Kushti heritage, training technique and news from across the association.
Events & Dangal
How Registration and Passes Work at a Kushti Tournament
From submitting your details to scanning in at the gate — how modern kushti tournament registration and entry…
Kushti Heritage
Langot, Gada and Jori: The Traditional Equipment of Kushti Explained
The langot, the gada, the jori — kushti has its own set of traditional equipment, each with a specific…
Events & Dangal
Kushti Weight Categories and Rules Explained
How are kushti wrestlers actually matched, and what rules govern a bout? A clear explainer for anyone new to…
Get Involved
Join the Kushti Community
Whether you're a wrestler, a coach, or simply someone who loves the sport — there's a place for you here.