Thirteen times champion Didarul Haq of Ramu, Cox’s Bazar district again won the championship of this year’s historic Jabber’s Wrestling Competition (Jabbarer Bolikhela) held at Laldighi Maidan today with much enthusiasm and festivity.
Didar clinched the champion trophy in a 17-minute fight by beating last year’s champion Shsmsu who comes from Teknaf of the same district.
Earlier, Didar, a dominating figure in the historic wrestling competition, popularly known as Bolikhela, announced that he would retire next year from his fighting.
Nearly 100 wrestlers aged from 10-70 years from different parts of the country mainly from rural areas who are locally known as Boli or Kustigir participated in the 109th competition with the presence of thousands of spectators at the open Laldighi Maidan at 3 pm today.
The fight was the main attraction of the traditional three-day Abdul Jabbar Wrestling Competition cum Boishaki Fair popularly known as “Jabbarer Boli Khela”, usually held on April 25 every year.
Mayor of Chittagong AJM Nasir Uddin who attended the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest handed over the trophy to the winner.
Additional Commissioner of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Masudul Hasan, local ward councilor Johor Lal Hazari and Cluster Market director of Robi Axiata Nazir Ahmed, among others, witnessed the competition sponsored by private telecom company Robi Axiata Limited.
The century-old event which is marked by a three-day big fair of locally made beautiful handicrafts, artifacts, earthen goods and indigenous household items at one and half a kilometer adjoining areas of Laldighi Maidan will formally end tomorrow but continue till Thursday.
With the individual initiative of renowned social worker and businessman late Abdul Jabber Sawdagar in city’s Badarpati area started the competition in 1909 during British colonial regime aiming at inspiring the young generation against the anti-colonial movement.
