When polished, Indian wrestlers can grow a bigger pool of MMA athletes globally: Ritu Phogat

A gold medal winner at the 2016 Commonwealth Wrestling
Championship, Indian wrestler Ritu Phogat is now a mixed martial art (MMA)
athlete and is going to take up Cambodian star and Kun Khmer World Champion Nou
Srey Pov at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX. The event will take place on October 30 in
Singapore and broadcast live across the globe.

Talking about her plans for the event and where does
India stand on the MMA chart among global athletes, the 26-year-old Phogat told
Opoyi from Singapore, “ While the country has fast – fallen in love with MMA there is still a
lot more scope. We have an arsenal of fighters such as Arjan Bhullar, Gary
Mangat who can give neck-breaking competition to international athletes from
across the world.”

“In addition, India has great wrestlers and when
polished, we will be able to nurture and grow a bigger pool of MMA athletes on
a global level. Together with international promotions like ONE Championship
who are foraying into Indian territories, the scope for homegrown talent here
in India will only continue to expand,” she added.

She also plans to bring mixed martial arts
into the limelight in India.

“One of the reasons I want to win this world championship
is to popularize MMA in India and give it the recognition that it deserves. India
is not short on talent. I just want to be an inspiration so that others
approach MMA more seriously,” she said.