Pune, 19th October 2023: The Maharashtriya Mandal, founded in 1924 by Capt. Shivrampant Damle with a mission to foster physical fitness and prepare youth for careers in the defense forces, is set to embark on its centenary year celebrations commencing on the auspicious occasion of Dussehra on October 24, 2023.
In the upcoming year, a series of events and activities have been meticulously planned, and details of these were disclosed during a press conference held in the city. Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale (Retd.), President of Maharashtriya Mandal, addressed the gathering, joined by Avinash Ghatpande, Chairman of Maharashtriya Mandal, Rohan Damle, General Secretary of Maharashtriya Mandal, and Neha Damle, Education Director of Maharashtriya Mandal. The press conference also featured the unveiling of Maharashtriya Mandal’s new logo.
What began as an institution focused on physical fitness and well-being has, over the past century, expanded its horizons to include the establishment of schools and colleges. Air Marshal Bhushan Gokhale (Retd.), speaking at the press conference, stated, “India boasts a rich tradition of sports such as Malkhamb, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and Yoga. However, there are limited opportunities for children to learn and play these sports today. To address this, Maharashtriya Mandal is launching a Center of Excellence. This center will not only focus on research and development for these sports but will also offer top-notch coaching and state-of-the-art indoor facilities.”
He added, “Our goal is to attain the status of a Sports University, and we have initiated the groundwork for this endeavor. Alongside the Center of Excellence, we are also planning to establish a Sports Science Center and a High-Performance Center to cultivate international-level athletes. These centers will provide students with guidance in various domains, including nutrition, strength training, sports therapy, sports science, biomechanics, sports psychology, and more. We will also introduce a theoretical curriculum for students to study. Currently, our institution offers a commerce degree, but in the near future, we aim to provide a BBA degree as well.”
Rohan Damle, General Secretary of Maharashtriya Mandal, spoke about the commencement of the centenary year celebrations, saying, “The centenary year celebration will kick off with a distinctive procession on Tilak Road on October 24 (Dussehra) at 7.30 am. The procession will commence from our Tilak Road campus, proceed to Abhinav Chowk, and conclude at our Mukund Nagar campus. The event will feature various demonstrations by our students in Malkhamb, Lezim, Yoga, and Lathi-Kathi. Additionally, there will be a street play on de-addiction performed by our students during the procession. Students, teachers, and management members will all participate. Before the procession, at 5 am, we have a special ‘Zor’ program, an Indian-style dip and push-up. We have received over 150 registrations for this event, and a special award will be presented to the individual who accomplishes 1000 non-stop push-ups.”
“As part of our centenary year celebration, we have planned an array of activities, including national and international symposiums on traditional Indian games and a grand yoga conference. We are also planning grand displays of traditional Asian games, with participation from troops representing various Asian countries. Returning to our institution’s original objective, we are working on a system to prepare our youth for careers in the defense forces,” he added.
