Bagha Sharif reigns supreme again at Jabbar's Boli Khela

Bagha Sharif of Cumilla retained his title at the 116th edition of the historic Jabbar's Boli Khela, clinching his second consecutive victory in a closely contested final held today at Chattogram's Laldighi field.

The final match saw a rematch between last year's champion and runner-up, Bagha Sharif and Rashed Boli, both from Cumilla. The intense bout lasted more than 30 minutes, with neither wrestler able to achieve the traditional win by pinning the opponent to the ground.

As the deadlock continued, organisers announced there would be no joint winners, prompting loud approval from the crowd. To resolve the impasse, a revised rule was introduced: instead of a full pin, simply throwing the opponent to the ground would be sufficient to win.

Bagha Sharif (left, in green shorts) claimed the championship title after defeating Rashed Boli (right, in red shorts) in a gripping final match. Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin

Seizing the opportunity, Bagha Sharif launched a renewed attack. During one of his moves, Rashed grabbed the ropes surrounding the ring to prevent being thrown. Chief referee Hafizur Rahman ruled this a technical foul and declared Rashed "technically out," awarding the win to Bagha Sharif.

Rashed protested the decision, but organising committee member secretary Shawkat Anwar Badol upheld the referee's ruling, closing the match amid high drama.

This year's event saw a record 150 wrestlers from across the country register for the traditional wrestling competition. Following a preliminary screening, 80 wrestlers were selected for the first round. After the initial matches, four new winners joined last year's top four to compete in a high-intensity challenge round.

In that round, Kamal of Cumilla defeated Kanchan from Chattogram, Bagha Sharif beat Dipu of Cumilla, Shahjalal overcame Russell from Sitakunda, and Rashed defeated Rubel from Rangamati. All four semifinalists—Bagha Sharif, Rashed, Shahjalal, and Kamal—were from Cumilla.

Bagha Sharif beat Kamal in the first semifinal, while Rashed defeated Shahjalal in the second, setting the stage for the highly anticipated rematch.

Photo: Mohammad Minhaj Uddin

Chattogram Mayor Shahadat Hossain presented the championship trophy to Bagha Sharif following the final. Earlier, Chattogram Metropolitan Police Commissioner Hasib Aziz inaugurated the event.

Jabbar's Boli Khela was first organised in 1909 by Abdul Jabbar, a businessman from Chattogram's Badarpati area, as a way to prepare local youth for the anti-British movement through physical training.

Since then, the event has become one of the region's most celebrated traditional sporting competitions, held annually on the 12th of Baishakh.

The wrestling tournament remains the centrepiece of a week-long Baishakhi fair that fills Laldighi and its surrounding areas with cultural activities, traditional stalls, and merchandise from across the country, drawing visitors from all over Bangladesh.