The traditional pairing ceremony for the Dasara wrestling tournament was held at the D. Devaraj Urs Multipurpose Stadium in Mysuru on Sunday in the presence of Minister In-charge of Mysuru district Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
Mr. Yathindra, who is also the Urban Development Minister, released the official poster of the Dasara wrestling tournament 2026 on the occasion.
The Dasara wrestling tournament scheduled to be held from October 11 to 17 as part of the Dasara festivities will feature competitions in three different categories — Nadakusti, Point Wrestling and Panja Wrestling.
The tournament will be inaugurated at 4 a.m. on October 11, which is the scheduled date for the start of the Dasara festivities, at the D. Devaraj Urs Multipurpose stadium.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Yathindra said that the wrestling competition organised as part of Dasara festivities had become as popular as the Jamboo Savari itself.
A traditional sport rooted in the region’s heritage, wrestling competitions have been held since the days of the erstwhile Mysuru kings, he said, adding that the State government would extend greater encouragement to the event.
He said the main objective was to provide a suitable platform for local and State-level wrestlers.
Emphasising that participation and sporting spirit were more important than victory or defeat in such sporting events, he wished all the wrestlers participating in the tournament success and congratulated them.
He claimed that the Dasara wrestling competition is so popular that people come from across the country and abroad to watch it.
The Dasara Wrestling Sub-Committee has made arrangements for wrestlers from across the State participating in the seven-day tournament.
Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa, Superintendent of Mysuru District Police Mallikarjun Baladandi, Additional Superintendent of Police and Deputy Special Officer of the Wrestling Sub-Committee L. Nagesh, Wrestling Sub-Committee secretary Narasimhamurthy, working president Dharmendra, and wrestlers were present.
