Mysuru: Recalling a childhood incident, Dr. Hampana said, “Wrestling has always held a special place among Dasara’s traditional practices. It’s vital that such traditional sports continue to be encouraged. In the past, wrestling schools (Garadi Manes) were common across the State.”
He reminisced about 1948 when he was a 6th-grade student in Mandya. “At the time, Mysuru’s famous wrestler, Ustad Tiger Ramu, was very popular. Inspired by him, I started visiting a wrestling school, hoping to become a wrestler. I had curly hair back then, but Ustad Kalappa from the school pointed out that my form with curl hair wasn’t proper,” he recalled.
