Panjabi Wrestling - From India to the UK

Exploring the History of Pehlwani

A group of 12 young people from Slough Wrestling Club have explored the history of Panjabi Wrestling, known as Pehlwani.

They have undertaken research with an historian of the sport, taken part in workshops to understand the role of the sport in Panjabi heritage, culture and religion and also how it arrived in the UK with the diaspora who came from India and Pakistan from the 1950s. They have worked with a wrestling coach to learn the actual skills of wrestling that are currently being lost.

The group have learnt oral history and film making skills from digital:works and conducted interviews with older members of the UK based Panjabi community to explore and record the history of the sport. The interviews have been edited to create this informative oral history based documentary.

www.panjabiwrestling.org.uk
www.digital-works.co.uk