Gauhati High Court lets Australian arm wrestler Ryan Bowen stay in India
The Gauhati High Court kept Ryan Thomas Bowen in India through July 13, clearing the way for his July 5 Eliza Cup supermatch with Brad Grundy in Guwahati.
The Gauhati High Court’s interim stay kept Ryan Thomas Bowen in India and preserved a major armwrestling booking that sits at the center of his business in the country. Justice Kardak Ete granted the relief on June 18, allowing the Australian arm-wrestler, commentator and promoter to remain until July 13, 2026, while the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Guwahati continues processing his extension request.
That ruling matters because Bowen’s visa timeline had already turned into a race against the calendar. He arrived in India on January 24, 2026, on an e-Tourist visa, and the normal 90-day stay had expired in late April. He applied for an extension on May 26, then received a Leave India notice on June 4. His petition said the extra time was needed for medical treatment and for a legal dispute that also includes a defamation and declaration suit involving the People’s Arm Wrestling Federation India.
The practical impact reaches far beyond paperwork. Bowen is scheduled to face American puller Brad Grundy on July 5 at the Eliza Cup in Guwahati, a 105-kg match being billed as an Australia vs USA showdown. Promotional material identifies Grundy as a U.S. national gold medalist and Bowen as Australia No. 1, turning the bout into one of the event’s main attractions at GMCH Auditorium, Guwahati.
The stay also protects the larger commercial event Bowen is helping drive. Pound for Pound Armwrestling, which Bowen owns, has marketed the Eliza Cup as India’s biggest prize-money armwrestling championship, with more than 13 lakh in cash prizes. The promotion says the card is intended to be a showcase under the title Eliza Cup: The Ultimate Ginger Showdown, and the event listing places the start time at 10:00 on July 5.
Bowen’s counsel reportedly told the court that he holds a multiple-entry tourist visa valid until September 17, 2029, but the in-country stay still depends on the rules governing his extension request. For now, the stay keeps Bowen’s training window open, keeps the July 5 booking alive, and leaves promoters, fans and Grundy waiting on a legal process that is now shaping the matchup as much as the table itself.
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