Suniel Shetty, a known actor and entrepreneur has recently made an investment, in Pro Panja League. This emerging professional arm wrestling tournament is gaining popularity in India. The league emphasizes its roots welcomes participants, from backgrounds, and aims to attract a wide audience through television broadcasts. In its season the league aspires to captivate viewers and establish an online community. The future looks promising for this growing sport.
Suniel Shetty, the well-known actor, and entrepreneur, has recently acquired a minority stake in Pro Panja League, a professional arm-wrestling tournament launched by celebrity couple Parvin Dabas and Preeti Jhangiani through their company, Panja Sports.
In his statement to the media, Shetty expressed his excitement about joining Pro Panja League as an equity partner at the group level. His shareholding will be in the single digits.
Founded in 2020, Pro Panja League has already kicked off its inaugural season with six teams competing at the IGI Stadium in New Delhi. The tournament is being telecast on Sony Sports channels, while FanCode, owned by Dream Sports, is live-streaming it.
Shetty sees enormous potential in arm wrestling as a sport in India due to its indigenous roots, low entry barrier, and TV-friendly nature. He believes it caters to both men and women and requires minimal infrastructure, making it an appealing investment. He also emphasized that the excitement of the sport is guaranteed as the results are evident.
Parvin Dabas, one of the league’s founders, expressed confidence that Suniel Shetty’s association with Pro Panja League will attract more attention from the public. They are aiming to merge sports and entertainment through the league.
Panja Sports plans to invest Rs 20 crore in the league during its first two years. They understand that the initial focus should be capturing viewers’ attention rather than generating immediate revenue. Once the league gains popularity, they expect big-ticket sponsors to come on board.
Dabas further revealed that Pro Panja League franchise owners would likely break even by the third or fourth year, given the sport’s low cash burn. Each franchise owner is required to invest Rs 2.25-2.5 crore annually.
The league has already made impressive strides online, building a robust community with 270 million views on social media channels within the last ten months.
In addition to the league, Panja Sports aims to organize standalone tournaments throughout the year to promote arm wrestling at the grassroots level, further expanding the sport’s reach in India.
