You answer a few questions and you get a crore.
This is how India is successful Who will become Crorepati? (KBC) was launched. It’s been mentioned in pop culture since winning the Oscar The poor millionaire to the recent bollywood movie Sector 26this game show gave crores to its triumphant contestants.
In 2024, some energetic kabaddi players across the country have already amassed a billion, but they will have a lot to answer in the coming weeks. All eyes are on their performance in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) starting this week, even as sports fans are ready to cheer on their favorite teams in this fast-growing contact sport.
Sachin Tanwar – Tamil Thalaivas
Sachin will not forget August 15, 2024. Although the bids in the PKL 2024 auction were flying fast that day, an emotional Sachin turned out to be the most expensive player, joining the Tamil Thalaivas for a whopping Rs 2.15 crore.
For Sachin Tanwar, a native of Badbar village in Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu district, it was a “wild dream come true”. A household name in the Indian kabaddi ecosystem now, his experience with the sport began a long time ago when he once dropped out of school to play kabaddi. “My uncle, my elder brother Deepak… everyone in the family played kabaddi. I would have been spared for school if I played the game well,” he laughs.
He did it. After representing India in the 2016 Asian Youth Championship, Sachin made his PKL debut impressing everyone with his attacking skills and also became a key part of India’s successful Kabaddi campaigns. “It makes us feel proud that such a rural contact sport played on a black pitch is gaining traction in urban India.”
The 26-year-old is looking forward to playing well for the Tamil Thalaivas this season. “It’s a team game and the team we join becomes our family,” says Sachin, promising to learn more than justvanakkam“and”Saptia‘ during his stay here in the coming weeks.
When he is not playing kabaddi, what does he do? “We are a farming family. You will find me busy on my farm in the village growing crops.
Ghuman Singh – Gujarat Giants
Ghuman Singh
Virat Kohli has always been Ghuman’s favorite athlete. Watching him play all those deceptive strokes and pulls, a young Ghuman – who grew up in Sherpur village in Gurgaon (Haryana) – dreamed of playing cricket and having audiences watch his matches on television.
Part of that dream came true, but Ghuman is now a rising star in another sport – kabaddi – in the PKL. “My uncle introduced me to the sport and I was fascinated,” says Ghuman, who at 15 left home to train at the Narwal Kabaddi and Sports Academy in Haryana and was soon inducted into the league.
“I loved watching kabaddi on TV. I wanted my family and friends to watch me act on the big screen too,” Guman recalls.
Now 25, Ghuman credits PKL with transforming his life, allowing him to build a house for his family and securing a job on the railways. He was snapped up for Rs 1.97 crore by Gujarat Giants this season, something that gives him a big confidence boost. “Kabaddi taught me discipline,” he says, adding, “The sport is here to stay and grow. It is among the most watched sports in India after cricket.
Maninder Singh – Bengal Warriors
Maninder Singh
Manider Singh was a regular visitor waist the territory of Panwan village in Hoshiarpur (Punjab). There he played many kabaddi matches, was always aggressive and earned a name as a dangerous striker, a player feared by the opponents.
Today, he uses his attacking skills at the national level. As one of the most successful strikers in the PKL, with two trophies to his name, Maninder is living his dream. “I am used to playing on the field in my village. While playing on a mat, the game is faster and more exciting. We hitters get more acceleration on such surfaces,” he says.
He attributes much of his success today to senior kabaddi player Ran Singh Rania, with whom he played in his first season. “Rania Paaji taught me different sports techniques. When he is by my side, I play without any stress,” he says.
Bengal Warriors captain since 2019, Maninder was retained by the team for Rs 1.15 crore this season. “We know that if we play well one season, we’ll be paid better the next. Kabaddi also provides employment to many of us players and thus helps us get in the right frame of mind to train for the league,” he says.
Maninder has an interesting prediction: that by 2034, kabaddi will become as popular as cricket in India. “It is a shorter duration game while cricket is quite longer. Crowds will definitely pour into the stadiums and fill them. Also, compared to earlier, players are now more skilled and new rule changes have helped the sport to grow. Who knows, it may one day surpass the popularity of cricket.
The Pro Kabaddi League, starting on October 18, is scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, Noida and Pune in the coming weeks. Watch it on Star Sports Network, Star Sports 1 Tamil and Disney+Hotstar.
Published – October 17, 2024, 4:18 PM IST
