A Day in the Life of a National-Level Pehlwan

It is still dark when the first pehlwans arrive at the akhara. Training for a national-level wrestler doesn’t begin with a whistle — it begins hours before, with a routine so consistent that most competitors could describe it in their sleep.

4:30 AM — The morning session

The day opens with a long run, usually five to seven kilometres, followed by bodyweight conditioning: dands (a wrestler’s version of a push-up), bethaks (deep squats), and rope climbing. This is the base-building block — no opponent, no mat time, just raw stamina and joint conditioning that a pehlwan will draw on later in the day when technique work gets demanding.

By 7 AM, breakfast is simple and deliberate: usually milk, almonds, and a heavy dose of ghee — a combination that hasn’t changed much in decades, even as sports science has crept into elite training rooms.

Midday — Technique and sparring

The second session is where matches are actually won. Coaches run drills on specific holds — dhobi pat, kalajang, or the outside trip that has decided more than one championship bout — before moving into live sparring rounds. This is also when a coach will flag weaknesses: a wrestler favouring one side, a slow reaction off the whistle, grip fatigue in the third minute.

“Anyone can train hard for five minutes. A championship is won in minute eight, when your legs are shaking and your opponent is betting that you’ll fold first.”

Evening — Recovery is not optional

What separates a national-level pehlwan from a promising junior is often not talent but recovery discipline: oil massage, stretching, and an early night. Wrestlers who skip this stage rarely last a full competitive season without injury.

It is a demanding, repetitive life — and one that most pehlwans will tell you they wouldn’t trade for anything.