It’s Aspull International

It’s Aspull International!



It’s no secret that wresting puts Wigan on the map across the world. And this week, Aspull’s annual wrestling club competition has once again seen the town take on a real overseas feel.



Guest of honour at the Robin Park venue was the council’s cabinet champion for leisure, Cllr Chris Ready. As the competition began, he welcomed competitors from far and wide. “It’s always a pleasure to support Aspull Wrestling Club,” he said. “And this year we’ve been joined by visitors from the south Pacific and Pakistan. It’s great to see the international recognition for our town. ”



Maria Dunn from Guam, an island a few thousand miles east of the Philippines, is in training for the London Olympics. She’s staying in Wigan to take advantage of the town’s long association with the sport. Maria was joined by Ali Mohammid.



Ali was delighted to be the latest of his family to come to Wigan, after one of his brothers’ competed here in 2009. “Mine is a family of wrestlers from the Punjab,” he said. “We run a gym for over 100 young people in one of Pakistan’s biggest cities, Gujranwala. Five of my brothers are Commonwealth medalists.”



Both international visitors won their matches convincingly.



Local wrestling legend Roy Wood, himself currently being considered for the Unsung hero award in this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards, said: “It was excellent to welcome Marian and Ali and to have Chris Ready as our special guest. Aspull has always been about teamwork and I’d like to thank the dedicated parents and helpers who support our wrestlers.”