Renowned wrestler of Sindhi form of wrestling Amir Bux Shoro passed away after a protracted illness at his residence in Jhumpir under abject financial crisis on Saturday evening. He was known for his out of box skills in Sindhi wrestling locally called Malakhro.
Malhakhro, malakhera or malh is a traditional sport of Sindh. The word malh is derived from the Sindhi ‘malah’n’, meaning to celebrate. Its matches are usually organised during festivals and urs (death anniversary) of Sufi saints.
Shoro started taking part in the local events as a wrestler and, over time, he gained province-wide fame owing to his extraordinary skills in the game.
Renowned wrestlers of the 80s and 90s feared his presence in the ground as almost all of them were overpowered by him at different cultural events and annual fairs.
Former Sindh chief minister Syed Abdullah Shah was among diehard fans of his skills and bestowed him with countless awards and shields in recognition of his services. He also announced that he would send Shoro to China to take part in international wrestling events.
People from different walks of life expressed deep grief over the demise of an iconic player of the traditional sport and deplored the indifferent attitude of the Sindh government toward him.
Senior Journalist Mahboob Brohi said that Shoro was a household name in Sindhi wrestling but towards the end, he had been given a stepmotherly treatment by the Sindh government. “Shoro was suffering from multiple health complications but neither the elected representatives nor any official of the culture department turned up for assistance,” he said.
Social activist Iqbal Jakhro said, “We are losing our heroes at the hands of utter apathy and carelessness of the authorities concerned. An independent trust should be formed to save such prominent names from financial constraints.”
