Three female wrestlers from JPL-supported academy in Haryana shine on the national stage

Jhajjar, April 25, 2022: Three young girl wrestlers from the Krishan Akhara wrestling academy in Haryana’s Khanpur Khurd village have come into the national spotlight and will represent India at upcoming international wrestling competitions. The academy was set up in 2014-15 by Jhajjar Power Limited, a subsidiary of Apraava Energy – a leading investor in the Indian power sector – in partnership with a community-based organization and the village leadership. It provides high-quality coaching and training infrastructure for aspiring young wrestlers, both male and female, from Khanpur Khurd and neighboring villages. Jhajjar Power Limited has commended the three young girls on their achievement.

Anjali Gahlawat, a wrestler from Jhamri in the 57-kg category, won the gold medal at the National Junior Wrestling Championship in Patna in March 2022 and has qualified for the Junior Asian Championship and Sub-Junior Asian Championship. Tapsya Gahlawat from Khanpur Kalan, meanwhile, has qualified for the Sub-Junior Wrestling Championship in the 61-kg category to be contested in Normandy, France, in May 2022. The third young achiever is 15-year-old Neha Sangwan, who hails from Balali village – the home of international champions Geeta and Babita Phogat. Neha won the gold medal in the 54-kg category at the National Ranking Series Championship hosted by the Wrestling Federation of India in Patna in March-April 2022.

Bhaskar Bhattacharjee, Senior Vice President, Jhajjar Power Ltd, said, “We are delighted that the Krishan Akhara has given us three young, promising wrestlers who will represent India on the international stage. Haryana has produced some truly great wrestling talent over the years, and we are privileged to be able to support it through the academy. We are proud of Anjali, Tapsya and Neha for what they have achieved, and we wish them the very best for all competitions they participate in. May they bring even more glory to India and Indian wrestling.”

Apraava Energy’s sports programme in Jhajjar has grown and evolved over the years, during which the company has established robust sports infrastructure in catchment villages. The number of wrestlers training at the Apraava-supported Krishan Akhara has increased from 7 at the outset to 67 at present. The academy, with its gender-agnostic approach, has enabled easy access to professional training in wrestling, offered by certified trainers, for both girls and boys at the village level and has encouraged the local communities to enrol interested girls in the training programme. There are presently 12 girls enrolled with the academy.

About Apraava Energy
Apraava Energy is owned by the CLP Group, one of the largest investor-owned power businesses in Asia, and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), a global institutional investor. Founded in 2002, Apraava Energy has gradually grown its footprint to become one of the largest foreign investors in the Indian power sector. Its diversified portfolio comprises over 3,000MW of electricity generation capacity including wind and solar energy projects across seven states, as well as transmission assets.