A video of Baba Ramdev wrestling a journalist during a live event has gone viral. The journalist turned out to be an experienced wrestler and held his own against the yoga guru. The friendly bout ended with smiles, drawing mixed reactions online.
Yoga guru and Patanjali founder Baba Ramdev, 59, surprised the audience at a live event by inviting a journalist on stage for a wrestling match. The incident took place during 'Bharat Samvad', a programme organised by a private media house. It was light-hearted friendly wrestling bout and the journalist turned out to be an experienced wrestler.
The journalist was identified as Jaideep Karnik, from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, according to NDTV. He comes from a well-known wrestling family. His father, Subhash Karnik, was a respected wrestler and wrestling writer in the state. His grandfather, Rangnath Karnik, was also a legendary wrestler in his time.
Ramdev appeared unaware of Karnik’s wrestling background when he invited him for the sparring session.
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How the wrestling match unfolded
An 18-second video of the match has gone viral on social media. The footage shows Ramdev trying to trip and overpower the journalist. Karnik skillfully dodged the moves and resisted strongly.
At one point, Ramdev managed to bring Karnik to the ground. However, the journalist quickly regained control and fought back, even flipping Ramdev during the bout. Ramdev then stepped back, smiling, as the friendly match ended.
Both men fell to the ground at different moments and then stood up smiling, showing there was no hostility.
Ramdev says it was done for fun
After the friendly bout ended, Baba Ramdev smilingly clarified that the wrestling was just for fun. In the video, Ramdev is also seen reacting as if he allowed the journalist to gain the upper hand. The moment was described by viewers as playful rather than aggressive.
The video sparked mixed reactions online. Some users praised Ramdev’s fitness at his age. One user wrote, “Whatever anyone says, Baba Ramdev is very fit even at this age.”
Others felt the yoga guru underestimated the journalist. A comment read, “Baba thought he would be an easy prey to gain media points but ended up making a mockery of himself.”
Another user joked that the journalist would remember the moment for life.
Ramdev’s past wrestling appearances
This was not the first time Baba Ramdev has stepped onto a wrestling mat. In the past, he sparred with Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in Haridwar.
He also faced Andriy Stadnik, the Olympic silver medallist who defeated Sushil Kumar at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, during a promotional match for the Patanjali Powervita Pro Wrestling League (PWL) in New Delhi. That bout was friendly and promotional, with Ramdev winning 12-0 as referees allowed him to showcase his techniques.
Ramdev has often promoted wrestling as a sport that builds strength, stamina and discipline. He has encouraged young people to take up wrestling and believes the sport has the potential to become popular worldwide.
