Sports Trumpet exclusive interview with Karaj Virk

In an interview with us, Pro Panja winner Karaj Virk talks about the hardships he’s faced whilst aiming for the top

Karaj Virk may not be from the wealthiest of families but, he has proved why he should be counted amongst the top Arm Wrestlers in India.

Sheer dedication, hardwork and will has helped the star arm wrestler reach to the stage where he is respected by all.

In the interview, Karaj speaks about what motivated him to pursue a career in arm wrestling.

“When I joined the gym, I saw many people there, arm wrestling with each other. Back then, we did not know “Panja” is also known as arm wrestling. When in 2015, I got to know more about the game, I thought about pursuing a career in this sport. Once I got to know more about the game and had made my decision of playing it at a competitive level, I was determined to make a mark. I went to Kerala and other places, to start competing.”

Next up, Karaj speaks about how he was all alone in the fight till he earned a medal.

“In the beginning, there was no one by my side. I was a lone warrior, fighting to make a name for myself. But, once I got better at the game and started getting medals, my families faith in me increased. They’ve been there for me ever since.”

Next, Karaj speaks about the Super Match he played against his dear friend, Sachin Goyal.

“Sachin is a top level competitor, and the result itself, shows how good a player he is. It was an intense and a close fight.”

When questioned about which arm wrestler can win a medal for India in this sport, Karaj answered in a direct and a short manner.

“The athlete, who follows a proper diet and is able to train properly, will be able to bring a medal for us. If I follow these steps, I can bring a medal for India too. Along with me, there are a few good players as well, such as Harman Mann, Sachin Goyal, Siddharth Malakar and others can bring us a Medal.”

“Before I started playing, I did not know about Parvin Sir and Preeti Ma’am. But now, I have a good relationship with both of them. They’ve helped us a lot in this field and I am forever in debt to their favors.”

Karaj also shared his training schedule with us.

“I get up early in the morning, go to the gym at 6 and train till 9 am. As for my sessions, I train for both Arm wrestling and other body parts training. I train for arm wrestling, 3 times a week.”

“In fact, I was so interested in Arm wrestling that my initial goal of participating in Weight lifting was left undisturbed.”

Fans would be shocked to know that Karaj did not train at all, during the Pandemic!

“During lockdown, as the gyms were closed, I did not train at all. The only way I was able to stay fit during the Pandemic was by controlling my diet. My intake, level of intake and what I ate were the things I kept in mind as I followed a strict diet throughout the pandemic.”

Karaj is a self driven athlete and he himself is his biggest motivator.

“Whenever I get demotivated, I am the only one who motivates myself to get back up and perform. In fact, I am so Confident in my training that I don’t need motivation from someone else. I train so hard that I am able to erase the chance of a loss.”

Lastly, Karaj talks about the special moment, when he won the Pro Panja League in 2020.

“I was over the moon in that moment of time. There are not enough words to describe the incredible feeling I had, when I won the Pro Panja League in 2020. There was a ranking tournament going on during that period of time and I needed a medal to qualify for the Pro Panja League. I trained a lot during that time and it paid off as I went on to qualify and then win the Pro Panja League.”

It was a fun interaction with Karaj and we hope he goes on to do our country proud in the sport of Arm Wrestling.