World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar Braun Strowman has showered praise on Kavita Devi, the only Indian woman in WWE, and said she is an inspiration for young athletes.
Kavita will participate in the Mae Young Classic II, an all-women's tournament scheduled to take place later this month. Strowman said the participation of Kavita in this professional tournament will help the sport grow in India.
"Kavita Devi is an inspiration for young women athletes, being the only Indian woman in WWE. I think it's amazing. Having an Indian superstar will result in it being that much more synonymous to the WWE Universe in India," Strowman told IANS in an interview.
Kavita had etched her name in the history books when the 31-year-old wrestler became the first Indian to take part in the Mae Young Classic in 2017.
And this time the tournament, featuring 32 female competitors from across the globe, will also see the return of Kaitlyn, a former WWE women's champion.
The WWE is taking several steps to rope in new talent. It recently launched a new talent recruitment website to reach elite athletes across a whole range of sporting disciplines, who may never have considered a role in the WWE as a career option.
Asked about the response from India, Strowman said: "We have received an overwhelming response from India. We have recently got Indian athletes on board, including Kavita Devi, who are now at the WWE Performance Center."
"India has the largest WWE Universe fanbase. The Indian universe love us and it's great to have the athletes come in and help us consolidate ourselves as the number one wrestling entertainment promotion in the world," he added.
Strowman, who visited India for a live event in Delhi last year, said the response he got in the country was amazing and he felt good to see such a fan base.
"The people in India are really awesome and every time it is an experience I love. When the WWE let me know about the opportunity of coming to India, I jumped at the opportunity," he said.
"The WWE Universe in India is fabulous and they love me; why wouldn't I want to be in a place where I am loved," he added.
(Gaurav Sharma can be contacted at gaurav.sharma@ians.in)
--IANS
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