New Delhi, Jul 24 (IANS): The armwrestling fever has gripped the nation with the inaugural season of Pro Panja League set to kick off from Friday.

The first season will take place at the IGI Stadium in the nation’s capital between July 28 and August 13.

As many as 180 top arm-wrestlers from the country have been drafted among six teams - Kiraak Hyderabad, Mumbai Muscle, Rohtak Rowdies, Ludhiana Lions, Baroda Badshahs, and Kochi KD’s, for the inaugural edition.

Ahead of the launch, Pro Panja League co-founder Parvin Dabas made a huge announcement regarding prize money for the winning team of the first season.

"For the first edition, we have decided to give INR 20 lakh for the winning team. We will be offering a prize money of INR 5 Lakh for the runners-up,” he revealed.

Pro Panja League has already differentiated itself in unique way in its approach as it is offering equal money for players across all men’s, women’s and specially-abled categories, as per their rankings. And now, Pro Panja League also announced additional prize money for the Player of the Tournament.

“We wanted to offer special prize money to the best player of the tournament – be it from any category. Sports should be equal and accessible to all. Hence, we will also be offering a prize money of INR 1 Lakh to the Player of the Tournament. We have always believed in equality – and hence, this is an opportunity for our female and specially-abled athletes as well to prove their dominance.”

The athletes competing in the Pro Panja League truly represent the Bharat Ka Khel. The armwrestlers have been selected from all parts of the country including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Kerala, Bihar, Odisha, Hyderabad, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. With the launch just one week away, there is massive excitement among the players for league to kick off.

"I cannot describe in words the level of excitement among the players. They have been training and competing in the Nationals for many years. They find it hard to believe that now they will be getting a huge platform such as Sony Sports Network to showcase their talent. Their dreams are getting fulfilled. From our end, we are encouraging them and inspiring them to have a desire to win and put on the best show for the audiences. This is an opportunity for them to make their careers and grow the sport all over India,” Parvin signed off.

Pro Panja League will be broadcast on Sony Sports Ten 3 SD and Sony Sports Ten 3 HD on TV and livestreamed on FanCode.