Anup Kumar has been one of India’s marquee kabaddi exponents for nearly a decade now. He has been an integral part of India’s gold medal-winning campaigns at the last two Asian Games. At the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi league (PKL) too, he has shone brightly and has guided the U Mumba team to three finals, winning the title in the second edition – 2015.
Anup's team might have failed to successfully defend their title in the recently-concluded Season 3, but there’s no denying the man's greatness and dedication to the sport. Throughout the three seasons of the league he has been one of the most outstanding raiders on show, and is undoubtedly one of the best players India has ever produced.
Here are 10 things that you need to know about this 32-year-old star:
- Anup Kumar is employed as a Deputy Commissioner of Police in Haryana. His formative years were spent in the village called Palra, situated in Gurgaon district, where he was born on 20th November, 1983 to Ransingh Yadav. Anup’s father used to be a Subedar Major in the Indian army.
- Anup grew up playing kabaddi during his spare time in school and started taking the sport seriously from the age of 17. During a tournament in Delhi, his immense talent caught the eye of Amarsingh Yadav who was the coach of the CRPF kabaddi team. That ultimately paved the way for Anup to get entry into the Delhi team after joining CRPF as a constable.
- Anup soon got a golden opportunity to represent India, and his first match with the national team was in 2006 during the South Asian Games in Sri Lanka.
- Anup became a regular member of the team from 2006 onwards and he has won several accolades, of which the most prominent ones are the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games gold medals. The calm and collected player rose to become the vice-captain of the national team under skipper Rakesh Kumar, and eventually in 2016 he was appointed as the captain. For his rich contribution to his sport, he was bestowed the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2012.
- Anup Kumar’s most recent accomplishment was leading the Indian team to the gold medal at the 12th South Asian Games held in Guwahati in February. He played a key role in the thrilling final to deliver the hard-fought 9-7 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan.
- Anup has flourished throughout the three seasons of the PKL. He captained the U Mumba side to the title in the second season of the league in 2015, besides taking them to the final on two other occasions in 2014 and 2016. He has been an excellent mentor for all his teammates and his captaincy has been lauded by one and all.
Surender Nada, who plays as a left-corner defender for U Mumba, acknowledged that Anup’s encouragement helped him become a better player.
“I was raw and was in awe of the flashing lights, the cameras zooming in on our faces and the large and vociferous crowds. I was too scared and didn’t know how to react. Anup tapped me on my shoulder and asked me not to worry and told me to just follow his advice. It was because of his encouragement that I am now a well-known player,” said Nada.
- As a player too, Anup has been no less impressive. He has amassed a whopping total of 330 PKL points, out of which 305 have come through his spectacular raids. He sizzled during the first season of the PKL and was deservedly awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP).
Talking about getting the coveted award in the first season, an elated Anup Kumar said: “All the kids growing up will know that there was a player called Anup Kumar who played in the league. It is a very happy moment for me.”
- Out of his myriad achievements, Anup rates India’s nail-biting win over Iran in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games final as the most unforgettable moment of his career. It was the dominant India team’s seventh gold at the Asiad but the players had to overcome a 10-point deficit to get the narrow 27-25 win.
Recalling that dramatic encounter the 32-year-old said, “Iran had 2 players and I had gone to raid. I got tackled and then I got very nervous and thought I lost the gold for India. I felt very bad. Then we had only a 1-point lead, but held on for the win. I will never forget that moment.”
- Anup has said that he gets his enormous power from his home-style diet which consists of milk, curd and butter along with a healthy amount of almonds. For his kabaddi commitments, he trains twice a day with two and a half hours devoted to each practice session.
- When he is not busy on the kabaddi mat, Anup enjoys hiking and roaming around with his friends.
