Fishmongers grapple with life by wrestling
‘We can’t enjoy life, can’t have a good time if we don’t have wrestling in Dubai,’ says Kala Pehlwan
Every Friday evening in Dubai’s bustling Deira district, a sandy lot is transformed into the ring of champions. It is the kushti (traditional wrestling) night and Kala Pehlwan is ready to fight.
As the sun sinks below towering palm trees, dozens of men — many in tunics, others in Tshirts — begin to form a perfect circle. Most are Pakistani or Indian, from the cross-border region of Punjab, where kushti (traditional wrestling) is a beloved pastime.
Veteran wrestlers, now referees, pour water over the inner ring to minimise dust.
“Clink, clink, clink,” ring wooden cymbals with bells.
The wrestlers unabashedly strip down to their underwear, donning yellow, red, or even floral-patterned loincloths.
“Kala Pehlwan, son, come to the ring! Suhail, son, come to the ring,” cries out 50-yearold Mohammad Iqbal — a Dubai kushti fixture.
The day’s matches are quick — sometimes under a minute — and hard fought. If the fight starts going over 20 minutes, the referees declare a tie.
On this evening, Kala Pehlwan (which in Urdu means black wrestler) finds himself overpowered — and faced with a challenge. “Find me a fighter that can beat me,” his opponent taunts.
Kala Pehlwan, 26, who works at the Deira Fish Market, huddled with friends and came up with a plan. They would find a challenger — not from Dubai, but from their hometown of Muzaffargarh in the Punjab province of Pakistan.
The brawny fighter enters the delivery area, crossing paths with his mentor, Mohammad Iqbal, who is pushing a cart of fish. “When I enter the market everyone is excited. They recognise me and know my name. And if there is any problem, they come to help me because I’m famous,” Kala Pehlwan, whose original name is Mohammad Arsalan, grins.
Kala Pehlwan says kushti is a way of life back in Muzaffargarh. “In our town, it’s a tradition to learn wrestling. Everybody grows up on kushti. They do not have bad habits like cigarettes or drugs. Everyone is trying to be fit for a fight.”
Iqbal wrestled for more than two decades in Dubai before passing the torch to the next generation, whom he takes the time to train each evening before work. “We can’t enjoy life, we can’t have a good time if we don’t have wrestling in Dubai,” he said. When Friday night comes around again, it’s the visiting challenger Shahzad who wins.