Community hero awarded honorary fellowship

A community champion who brought the Kabaddi World Cup to the UK out of Asia for the first time has been awarded an honorary fellowship for contributions to sport and the city of Wolverhampton.

Ranjit Singh, head coach of Wolverhampton Wrestling Club, has dedicated decades to using sport to empower members of the community and help nurture athletes who went on to compete in the Commonwealth Games.

Work he has also been honoured for includes turning his wrestling club into a foodbank during the Covid pandemic and hand-delivering 10,000 pieces of protective equipment to key workers and care homes.

The prestigious award was handed to him during a ceremony at the University of Wolverhampton.

"Giving back is my biggest reward and it's a culture that we have at the club", the proud Wulfrian told BBC Radio WM.

Last year, the Kabaddi World Cup was held in Wolverhampton for its first tournament outside Asia and Singh was monumental in the decision for it to be held in his hometown with seven women and four men selected to take part.

"Wolverhampton Wrestling Club has become a family legacy, my father and uncle started the club off because they were traditional wrestlers back home in India," Singh said.

"When they came to the country they continued to take on the sport because it was the only home feeling that they were getting."

The club has gone on to produce numerous national champions and break gender barriers by supporting female athletes, the university said.

Looking back to the club's early beginnings, he said: "We couldn't understand why we were training so hard, we were thrown in the deep end to build us, build our character, our confidence, resilience levels, everything."

But when his father retired, Singh took on the club and continued to pass on those morals.

"I think it should be in schools, it's a lifestyle, it's the confidence, the socialising and people become more humble, the kids become more respectful and you see a massive change in their [behaviour] at home," the community hero said.

"For us that's rewarding because we can see what we are doing is working."

As part of his work with the community he has championed autism awareness with a specific focus on neurodiverse individuals and helping those with complex social needs.

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