Rohit Sharma becomes co-owner of UP Warriors in Pro Wrestling League
Indian cricket star Rohit Sharma will co-own UP Warriors, along with real estate developers Lotus Greens, in the inaugural season of the Pro Wrestling League, which starts on December 10 at the IGI Indoor Stadium in Delhi.
“India has had a long and proud history with Wrestling. I am proud to come on board as one of the co-owners of the UP Warriors team at the Pro Wrestling League. Our team has the best line-up of wrestlers including India’s most celebrated wrestler Sushil Kumar. We look forward to making it to the top of the league for the first season of the PWL,” Rohit Sharma was quoted as saying by PTI.
Six franchises will be competing in the inaugural season of the Pro Wrestling League – Mangalayatan University Dilli Veer, UP Warriors, Haryana Hammers, Punjab Royals, Revanta's Mumbai Garuda and Bengaluru Yodhas.
Each team will consist of nine wrestlers – five males and four females. The teams will have to maintain a combination of five Indians and four foreigners during the tournament, which will have a league phase, followed by the semi-finals and the final. The final is scheduled for December 27.
Rohit Sharma joins the long list of Indian cricketers, former and present, who have invested in various professional leagues in recent times. Virat Kohli has stakes in Indian Super League (ISL) club FC Goa and International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) team UAE Royals, while Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the co-owner of Hockey Indian League (HIL) team Ranchi Rays and ISL club Chennaiyin FC. Sourav Ganguly has invested in ISL club Atletico de Kolkata, while Sachin Tendulkar has recently bought majority stakes of the ISL team Kerala Blasters.
Director of ProSportify, who are the organizers of the Pro Wrestling League, Vishal Gurnani has welcomed Rohit Sharma's move stating, "Rohit Sharma is one of the most appreciated cricketers in India today. We excitedly welcome him on board as one of the co-owners for the team UP Warriors. We look forward for a fruitful & long lasting association with Rohit."