Maharashtra Kesari ( in Sanskrit) is an Indian-style wrestling championship, established in 1854 in Maharashtra, India. It is organized by the Maharashtra Kustigir Parishad.
Prize Cash prize was awarded to the winner since the start. But since 1982, initiated by wrestler Mamasaheb Mohol, the winner was permanently awarded with a silver mace weighing . the winner received a silver mace and a cash prize of . In addition, Government of Maharashtra also provided honorary sum amount to the title holders above age 50. Until 2012, to be eligible for this amount, the title holder's annual income had to be less than. In 2015, the cash prize was raised to .
The winners are also eligible to apply for government jobs under sports quota.
Records Maharashtra Kesari is a wrestling competition in the state of Maharashtra . This competition started in the year 1961. After India gained independence, the first Maharashtra Champion competition was held in 1953. At that time, the famous wrestler Tukaram Nanasaheb Phalke of Nagarkar Talmi in Pune defeated Gogachach Siddhapa, a big wrestler from Mumbai mill workers, in just two minutes on the Joli Insa. Tukaram Phalke was awarded the Maharashtra Champion (Kesari) trophy.
Maharashtra Kesari 1961- present Maharashtra State Kustigir Parishad, established by Wrestling Maharshi Mamasaheb Mohol, has been organizing the highest level 'Maharashtra Kesari' wrestling competition in the state for the last six-seven decades. The aim of this competition is to make wrestling evolve, to make good wrestlers out of the region and help them shine at the country and world level. Maharashtra Kesari is being held in the clay and matt divisions. In this, the winner wrestler from the clay division open category and the winner wrestler from the mattress division open category will fight the final on Matt as per international standards, and the winner of this final fight is declared as 'Maharashtra Kesari' and the honorary mace of Maharashtra Kesari is awarded.
Winners Key Symbol MeaningIndicates that the wrestler has won the title multiple times Year Winner Runner-up Venue Ref.1953Tukaram Nana Phalke Pune1955Cancelled Mumbai1959Record not available Solapur1960No Result Nagpur 1961 Dinkar Patil (Dahyarikar) Dahyari, Sangli-Kolhapur Hanmant Mane / Biraju Yadav? Aurangabad 1962 Bhagwan More Sangli Sadashiv Takmoge Dhule 1963Cancelled Satara 1964 Ganpatrao Khedkar June Khed, Sangli-Kolhapur Biraju Yadav Amravati 1965 Ganpatrao Khedkar June Khed, Sangli-Kolhapur Mohan Bhise Nashik 1966 Deenanath Singh Varanasi-Kolhapur Chamba Mutnal Jalgaon 1967 Chamba Mutnal Kolhapur-Karnataka Dada Mane Khamgaon, Buldhana 1968 Chamba Mutnal Kolhapur Parasram Patil Ahmednagar 1969 Harishchandra Birajdar Osmanabad-Latur Dadu Chougule Latur 1970 Dadu Chougule Kolhapur Parasram Patil Pune 1971 Dadu Chougule Kolhapur Sahebrao Jadhav Alibag, Raigad 1972 Laxman Wadar Kerle, Kolhapur Mohan Bhise Kolhapur 1973 Laxman Wadar Kerle, Kolhapur Raghunath Pawar Akola 1974 Yuvraj Patil Koparde, Kolhapur Raghunath Pawar Thane 1975 Raghunath Pawar Pune Agnel Negro Chandrapur 1976 Hiraman Bankar Chimbali, Pune Shivaji Pachpute Akluj, Solapur 1977No result Chalisgaon, Jalgaon 1978 Appasaheb Kadam Sangli Shivaji Pachpute Mumbai 1979 Shivaji Pachpute Mumbai Madar Nabab Nashik 1980 Ismail Shaikh Solapur Ramesh Takawale, Hargude Khopoli, Raigad 1981 Bapurao Lokhande (ढवळ) Satara Saradar Khushahal Nagpur 1982 Sambhaji Patil Asgaon, Kolhapur Saradar Khushahal Beed 1983 Saradar Khushahal Indore-Kolhapur Vishnu Bhandari Pune 1984 Ramkisan Lokhande Dharur, BeedShankar Todkar Dadar, Mumbai 1985 Vishnu Joshilkar Kolhapur Rama Mane Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune 1986 Gulab Barde Rahuri, Ahmednagar Dilip Pawar Solapur 1987 Tanaji Bankar Solapur Pirmohmmad Attar / Dilip Pawar ? Nagpur 1988 Raosaheb Magar Nimgaon M, Solapur Bala Rafi Puluj Ahmednagar 1989No result Wardha 1990No result Kolhapur 1991No result Amravti 1992 Apaalal Sheikh Boramani, Solapur- Kolhapur Maula Shaikh / Sanjay Patil ? Akkalkot, Solapur Pune 1993 Udayraj Yadav Boramani, Solapur- Mumbai Balu Padgham Balewadi, Pune 1994 Sanjay Patil Karad, Satara- Mumbai Maula Shaikh Akola 1995 Shivaji Kekan Beed Saheb Solanke / Raju Lonari ? Nashik 1996Cancelled 1997 Ashok Shirke Ahmednagar Balu Padgham Deoli, Wardha 1998 Gorakhnath Sarak Satara Maula Shaikh Nagpur 1999 Dhanaji Phadtare Satara Anil Ashruba Raut / Raju Barguje ? Beed Pune 2000 Vinod Dadu Chougule Kolhapur Rahul Kalbhor Khamgaon, Buldhana 2001 Rahul Kalbhor Pune Dattatray Gaikwad Nanded 2002 Munnalal Shaikh Solapur-Mumbai Chandrakant Sul Solapur Jalna 2003 Dattatray Gaikwad Pune Bharat Mekale Yavatmal 2004 Chandrahas Nimgire Jeur, Solapur Ravi Patil Vashi 2005 Sayeed (Ali Kardoos) Chaus Beed Asab Ahmed Indapur, Pune 2006 Amol Buchade Pune-Mumbai Aba Sul Baramati, Pune 2007 Chandrahar Patil Sangli Atul Patil Aurangabad 2008 Chandrahar Patil Sangli Sandeep Barguje Kadegaon, Sangli 2009 Vijay (Vicky) Bankar Sangli-Pune Sayeed (Ali Kardoos) Chaus Sangavi, Pune 2010 Samadhan Ghodke Solapur Nandkumar Abdaar Roha, Raigad 2011 Narsing Yadav Mumbai Atul Patil Akluj, Solapur 2012 Narsing Yadav Mumbai Vijay Choudhary Jalgaon Gondia 2013 Narsing Yadav Mumbai Sunil Salunke Mumbai Bhosari, Pune 2014 Vijay Chaudhary Jalgaon Sachin Yelbar Ahmednagar 2015 Vijay Chaudhary Jalgaon Vikrant Jadhav Mumbai Nagpur 2016 Vijay Chaudhary Jalgaon Abhijit Katake Pune Warje, Pune 2017Abhijit KatakePuneKiran BhagatSataraBhugaon, Pune2018Bala Rafiq ShaikhPuneAbhijit KatakePuneJalna2019Harshad Sadgir NashikShailesh ShelkeLaturBalewadi, Pune2020Cancelled2021–22Pruthviraj PatilKolhapurVishal (Prakash) BankarSolapurSatara2022–23Shivraj Rakshe NandedMahendra GaikwadPune2023–24Sikander Shaikh Mohol, SolapurShivraj RakshePune2024Shivraj Rakshe PuneHarshad SadgirNashikOsmanabad2025Pruthviraj MoholPuneMahendra GaikwadSolapur2026Harshad Sadgir NashikMahendra GaikwadSolapurWagholi,Pune
Other Title holders from Maharashtra
Hind Kesari
Year Winner Runner-up Venue Ref.1959Shripati KhanchnaleKolhapurBanta Sing (Punjab Kesari)Delhi1960Ganpatrao AndhalkarKolhapurKhadak SinghMumbai1964Maruti ManeKavathe Pirhan, SangliMehruddinKarnal, Haryana1966Hazrat PatelAchegaon, SolapurAhmedabad1969Harishchandra BirajdarNilanga, LaturJharkhand RaiKanpur1971Deenanath SinghKolhapurLal Bahadur SinghBiharNagpur1975Chamba MutnalKolhapurBengaluru2003Vinod Dadu ChouguleKolhapurSuresh NadNashik2005Yogesh DodkePunePravin KumarHaryanaAhmednagar2013Amol BaratePuneSonu KumarAir ForceBivani, Haryana2014Santosh VetalKaradDevendraKumarHaryana2015Sunil SalunkheSangola, SolapurHitesh KumarPunjabJamkhandi, Karnataka2023Abhijit KatakePuneSomveerHarayana Hyderabad
Rustam-e-Hind
Year Winner Runner-up Venue Ref.Vishnupant Nagrale1972Harishchandra BirajdarNilanga, LaturNetrapal SinghArmy-DelhiVaranasi1973Dadu ChouguleKolhapurMumbai2010Amol BuchadePuneKamaljeetPunjabPunjab2018Asab AhmedIndapur, Pune2024Sikandar ShaikhMohol, SolapurBagga KohliPunjabPunjab
Olympics
Khashaba Jadhav – Bronze 🥉 Bantamweight 1952 Summer Olympics
National Awards
Arjuna Award 1963-Ganpatrao Andhalkar 1998-Kakasaheb Pawar 2000-Khashaba Jadhav posthumously 2012-Narsingh Yadav 2020-Rahul Aware
Dhyanchand Award 2005-Maruti Mane 2006-Harishchandra Birajdar 2018-Dadu Chougule
Notes Hiraman Bankar is father of Vijay Bankar. Dadu Chaugule is father of Vinod Chaughule.
References
External links