Gorakhpur: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath is likely to attend the closing ceremony of the two-day state-level wrestling championship at Gorakhnath Temple on Aug 17, where he will encourage the participating wrestlers and present prizes to the winners.The traditional Nag Panchami wrestling competition will be held at the Gorakhnath Temple on Aug 16 and 17, with around 325 wrestlers from across UP expected to participate.Organised by the state sports department and the district wrestling association, the state-level senior prize-money men’s wrestling championship will feature contests for three coveted titles — Uttar Pradesh Kesari, Uttar Pradesh Kumar and Veer Abhimanyu.The winners of each of the three titles will receive Rs 1.01 lakh in cash and a mace, while the runners-up will be awarded Rs 51,000 each. Two wrestlers finishing third in each category will receive Rs 25,000 each. Every wrestler will also receive Rs 500 per bout from the sports department.District Wrestling Association president and international wrestler Dinesh Singh said the competition was rooted in the long-standing tradition of indigenous sports associated with Nag Panchami and the Gorakhnath Temple.The championship will be inaugurated at 12.30 pm on Aug 16, while the finals and prize distribution will be held at 3 pm on Aug 17.
