Gray gets technical fall leading her Mumbai team to league title over Haryana in India Pro Wrestling League
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
NEW DELHI, India – Team captain Adeline Gray of the United States scored a technical fall, helping lead her Mumbai team to a victory over Haryana, 7-2, to capture the team title in the first season of the India Professional Wrestling League.
Gray scored a 10-0 technical fall over 2014 Commonwealth Games runner-up Geetika Jakhar of India at 69+ kg. Gray faced Jakhar in a dual meet on December 24, when she won by a 7-1 margin.
Gray, a three-time World champion, had a perfect 7-0 record in her seven dual meets during the India PWL season, with five technical falls. She was one of the most popular stars in this year’s India PWL.
Also winning matches for Mumbai in the finals match were Ritu Phogat of India at 48 kg and Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria at 53 kg in women’s freestyle, plus four men’s freestyle wrestlers, Rahul Aware of India at 57 kg, Amit Dhankar of India at 65 kg, Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia at 97 kg and Giorgi Sakandelidze of Georgia at 125 kg.
Mumbai went 5-0 in the regular season, the only undefeated team in the league. It also won two matches in the post-season, including a 5-2 win over Bengaluru in the semifinals on Christmas Day.
Haryana, which was 3-2 in the regular season, earned its spot in the finals with a 4-3 semifinal win over Punjab on Saturday.
Alyssa Lampe was the other American in the league, competing for Bengaluru at 48 kg.
This is the first year of the India Professional Wrestling League, which is scheduled for December 10-27. There are six teams in the league, and a dual meet was held every night of the season. Over $3 million was invested in salaries for the athletes featured in the league.
For final updates on the Indian Professional Wrestling League, visit its website at:
http://www.prowrestlingleague.com
PWL FINALS - MUMBAI 7, HARYANA 2
At New Delhi, India, December 27
Women
48 kg - Ritu Phogat (Mumbai/India) dec. Nirmal Devi (Haryana/India), 4-4
53 kg – Odunayo Adekuoroye (Mumbai/Nigeria) dec. Tatyana Kit (Haryana/Ukraine), 9-0
58 kg Oksana Herhel (Haryana/Ukraine) dec. Sakshi Malik (Mumbai/India), 4-4
69 kg + Adeline Gray (Mumbai/United States) tech. fall Geetika Jakhar (Haryana/India), 10-0
Men
57 kg – Rahul Aware (Mumbai/India) dec. Nitin (Haryana/India), 6-3
65 kg – Amit Dhankar (Mumbai/India) tech. fall Voshal Rana (Haryana/India), 12-0
74 kg Livan Lopez Azcuy (Haryana/Cuba) tech. fall Pardeep (Mumbai/India), 11-6
97 kg - Elizbar Odikadze (Mumbai/Georgia) dec. Vitalii Andriitsev (Haryana/Ukraine), 6-4
125 kg - Giorgi Sakandelidze (Mumbai/Georgia) tech. fall Hitender (Haryana/ India), 10-0
Total Points: Mumbai 67, Haryana 26
Regular Season Record: Mumbai 5-0, Haryana 3-2
Current Record, including playoffs: Mumbai 7-0, Haryana 4-3
Gray scored a 10-0 technical fall over 2014 Commonwealth Games runner-up Geetika Jakhar of India at 69+ kg. Gray faced Jakhar in a dual meet on December 24, when she won by a 7-1 margin.
Gray, a three-time World champion, had a perfect 7-0 record in her seven dual meets during the India PWL season, with five technical falls. She was one of the most popular stars in this year’s India PWL.
Also winning matches for Mumbai in the finals match were Ritu Phogat of India at 48 kg and Odunayo Adekuoroye of Nigeria at 53 kg in women’s freestyle, plus four men’s freestyle wrestlers, Rahul Aware of India at 57 kg, Amit Dhankar of India at 65 kg, Elizbar Odikadze of Georgia at 97 kg and Giorgi Sakandelidze of Georgia at 125 kg.
Mumbai went 5-0 in the regular season, the only undefeated team in the league. It also won two matches in the post-season, including a 5-2 win over Bengaluru in the semifinals on Christmas Day.
Haryana, which was 3-2 in the regular season, earned its spot in the finals with a 4-3 semifinal win over Punjab on Saturday.
Alyssa Lampe was the other American in the league, competing for Bengaluru at 48 kg.
This is the first year of the India Professional Wrestling League, which is scheduled for December 10-27. There are six teams in the league, and a dual meet was held every night of the season. Over $3 million was invested in salaries for the athletes featured in the league.
For final updates on the Indian Professional Wrestling League, visit its website at:
http://www.prowrestlingleague.com
PWL FINALS - MUMBAI 7, HARYANA 2
At New Delhi, India, December 27
Women
48 kg - Ritu Phogat (Mumbai/India) dec. Nirmal Devi (Haryana/India), 4-4
53 kg – Odunayo Adekuoroye (Mumbai/Nigeria) dec. Tatyana Kit (Haryana/Ukraine), 9-0
58 kg Oksana Herhel (Haryana/Ukraine) dec. Sakshi Malik (Mumbai/India), 4-4
69 kg + Adeline Gray (Mumbai/United States) tech. fall Geetika Jakhar (Haryana/India), 10-0
Men
57 kg – Rahul Aware (Mumbai/India) dec. Nitin (Haryana/India), 6-3
65 kg – Amit Dhankar (Mumbai/India) tech. fall Voshal Rana (Haryana/India), 12-0
74 kg Livan Lopez Azcuy (Haryana/Cuba) tech. fall Pardeep (Mumbai/India), 11-6
97 kg - Elizbar Odikadze (Mumbai/Georgia) dec. Vitalii Andriitsev (Haryana/Ukraine), 6-4
125 kg - Giorgi Sakandelidze (Mumbai/Georgia) tech. fall Hitender (Haryana/ India), 10-0
Total Points: Mumbai 67, Haryana 26
Regular Season Record: Mumbai 5-0, Haryana 3-2
Current Record, including playoffs: Mumbai 7-0, Haryana 4-3
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