Headgear Heartbreak Ends India's Biggest Dangal Star Jashkawar Gill 'Jassa Patti's' Global Debut

India’s biggest dangal star Jashkawar Gill failed to make his much-awaited international debut after organisers of a world ranking tournament in Turkey didn’t allow him to take the mat wearing his patka.

International wrestling rules allow players to wear headgear that don’t harm opponents during bouts. But in Istanbul on July 28, the referee’s insistence that Tarn Taran-based wrestler his hair like women competitors, and the 25-year-old Sikh wrestler’s refusal citing religious beliefs, resulted in a walkover for his first-round rival.

It was Gill’s debut in the international arena as he was part of the India team for the Yasar Dogu Memorial Tournament, organised under the umbrella of United World Wrestling (UWW), in Istanbul, Turkey, between July 27 and 29, when this incident happened.

“I told the referee that I have long hair and I need to tie it with the patka. I tried convincing everyone there that this is for a religious purpose. Even my coach tried talking to everyone but nothing worked. They did not allow me to compete with it,” said the man who is more popular as “Jassa Patti” on the dangal circuit.

Gill, has hundreds of Facebook fan pages, is an inspiration for many Punjabi pop songs and a superhero for children sporting his tattoos. By his own admission, he made close to Rs 1 crore in prize money last season and his career earnings include three Alto cars, 70 Bullet motorcycles and two tractors.

The Ministry of External Affairs has taken cognisance of the instance and a report has been sought from the Indian Ambassador to Turkey.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj informed this while replying to the tweet of SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday.

According to international wrestling rules, the players are allowed to wear only that headgear which doesn’t harm opponent during the bout.

It was probably for the first time that a Sikh wrestler supporting fully grown hair was taking part in an international wrestling tournament.

Recipient of a gold medal in the all-India inter-varsity tournament and bronze in the National Games, Gill is employed with the Punjab Armed Police. He is a son of Salwinder Singh, alias Shinda Pehalwan, an Asian gold medallist in wrestling.

Born on 15 July, 1993, Gill was to compete against a Ukranian wrestler under the 125-kg category when the organisers objected to his wearing the ‘patka’. Besides Gill, the other Indian team delegates made lots of requests to the organisers to allow him compete while wearing a ‘patka’, which was his religious bindings, but in vain.

“The organisers asked me to remove my ‘patka’ and tie my long hair as the women competitors do, but I chose to reject this offensive proposal and quit the tournament. I can sacrifice scores of such tournaments for my religious sentiments. I have participated in various national tournaments and faced no problems,” he said.

Chief wrestling coach of India Jagminder Singh, who accompanied the team, said it had been an unfortunate and a lone instance that came across in his career since 1973.

He also recalled an instance in Canada where a Sikh with fully grown hair was allowed to compete in a tournament a few years ago, but it failed to convince the organisers in Turkey and they didn’t deviate from the prescribed norms of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). Under the rules, there have been no guidelines for men having long hair.

“We have Sikh wrestlers in our teams, but all are with shorn hair and clean shaven. With exception to girls who are allowed to tie their hair with a rubber band that could not harm the opponent, norms are silent about the men supporting long hair. The organisers insisted him to tie his hair as the girls do, but he chose not to compete,” he said.

However, Jagminder Singh said since it was a first case, the Wrestling Federation of India should take up the matter with the WWF for amending the rules to avoid such an embarrassment in future.

In his request to the Union Minister, Sukhbir said that it was condemnable that Sikh wrestler Jashkawar Gill aka Jassa Patti was not allowed to compete in a world ranking tournament in Turkey while wearing a ‘patka’ to cover his hair.

“As per information emanating from Turkey, the United World Wrestling association, which organized the tournament, said that they had not received any complaint from the Indian Government,” pointed Sukhbir while urging the Union Minister to take up the issue with the Turkish Government as the religious rights of Jassa Patti had been violated.

I just came to know that the United World Wrestling association has not received any complaint from the Indian govt about the discrimination faced by Jaskawar Gill in #Istanbul. I urge @SushmaSwaraj ji & Indian Wrestling Federation to take up the issue with the Turkish govt.

— Sukhbir Singh Badal (@officeofssbadal) August 7, 2018

He also urged the Wrestling Federation of India to take up the issue with its Turkish counterparts so that Jassa Patti’s religious beliefs were not impinged upon again.

Sushma Swaraj write back:

Sukhbir ji - I have asked for a report from our Ambassador in Turkey. https://t.co/tq0JQJmdNA

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) August 7, 2018

“Sukhbir ji - I have asked for a report from our Ambassador in Turkey” was the reply by Sushma Swaraj to Sukhbir Badal’s tweet: “I just came to know that the United World Wrestling association has not received any complaint from the Indian govt about the discrimination faced by Jaskawar Gill in #Istanbul. I urge @SushmaSwaraj ji & Indian Wrestling Federation to take up the issue with the Turkish govt.”

For Gill, who stands out in the mud-wrestling circuit for his wrestling skills, the entire episode left his heart broken.