CHANDIGARH: Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI), the oldest registered Gatka organization recognized by the World Gatka Federation (WGF), has made an earnest appeal to the administrators of all Sikh educational institutions, religious, and social organizations worldwide to establish Gatka training centers in all Khalsa schools, colleges, and Gurdwaras. He also emphasized the importance of recruiting Gatka coaches in each institution and Gurdwara to foster the growth of Gatka sport activities across all countries.
A special meeting was convened in Hayes, London, by Sarabjit Singh Grewal, owner of Safetech, where prominent individuals such as Raughwinder Singh Sohi, Sukhpal Singh Johal, Surjit Singh Johal, Dr. Jasbir Singh Jandu, Kartar Singh Momi, Rajinder Singh Thind, Sukhjeevan Singh Sodhi, Palwinder Singh, Amarjit Singh Kulcha Express Wale, Amarjit Singh, Kewal Singh Randhawa, Amrik Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Singh Badhni, Harvinder Singh Grewal, and Rupinder Singh Saini were also present.
During his address, Gatka promoter Harjeet Singh Grewal informed the participants that the primary objective of the WGF and Asian Gatka Federation (AGF) was to include the self-defense sport of Gatka in international sporting events such as the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, SAF Games, and Olympic Games. "To achieve this goal, Gatka federations and teams would be formed in every country, so that national-level tournaments could be organized annually. Additionally, Asia Gatka Championship and World Gatka Championship would also be held to encourage participation from various countries. By implementing a well-structured plan, the popularity of Gatka would ultimately get a major boost, enabling it to attain international recognition as a sport," he added.
Grewal expressed his belief that with active support and assistance from all Gurdwaras, Sikh educational institutions, religious, as well as social organizations in all countries, the dream of including Gatka in the Olympic Games could be realized in the future. He emphasized the need to establish Gatka training centers and recruitment of coaches in every Gurdwara and educational institution to impart training to budding players free of cost. Grewal assured that the WGF and the NGAI would arrange trainers and provide necessary assistance to these training centers.
During the meeting, Grewal briefed about the massive efforts made in the past to gain recognition for Gatka in India and called upon the global community to voluntarily step forward and promote the game of Gatka in their respective countries.
Speaking at the event, Sarabjit Singh Grewal of Safetech highlighted Harjeet Grewal's unwavering dedication over the past fifteen years to obtain global recognition for the martial art of Gatka. The meeting aimed to support and promote the game of Gatka across all countries, during which constructive discussions took place, and many attendees contributed with progressive suggestions. All participants in the meeting pledged their full support to the WGF and NGAI for future endeavors, he added.