2016 has been an action-packed year for kabaddi, propelling the sport to newer, greater heights that one could not have imagined. Two successive instalments of the Pro Kabaddi League (seasons 3 and 4) were held, and even the women were also given a chance to showcase their prowess with the inaugural edition of the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge.
And to end the year on another positive note, the Kabaddi World Cup was staged in India after a hiatus of nine long years.
They were many young men who rose to the occasion and made their own mark amidst all this buzz with their talent, skills and style of play galore. In all likelihood then, they became the contemprory new faces, the ambassadors of the age-old game.
Sportskeeda looks at 5 kabaddi stars who made this year their very own with their exploits on the mat:
#1 Anup Kumar – India and U Mumba
Dubbed as “Captain Cool” who leads his team by example, Anup is more often than not at his wily best in matches. An experienced campaigner, he led the U Mumba side to their third consecutive final of Pro Kabaddi in Season 3, folllowing it up with an equally skilled display in the next edition as well.
With over 900 raids, and a total of 411 raid points in the league, he is the anchor of the Mumbai-based franchise. But the best from the Haryanvi police inspector came forth when he lifted the biggest trophy of his career, the World Cup. On the global stage, it was his raiding skills and captaincy which gave India, a massive edge over the other nations.
A top-class raider, the toe-touch and his ability to win bonus points make him a lethal opponent for any team. Combine these with his strategies especially in tight situations and the guidance that he provides to the other players on the mat, and one will have a complete player in their ranks.
"I have become a star. Everywhere I have gone, be it Chandigarh, Agra, Jaipur or somewhere in Himachal, people walk up to greet me and ask me to pose for selfies. There are even some who keep staring at me and wonder if I am actually the Anup Kumar they have seen on TV. That's how much it has changed."
Anup was quoted as saying to Mumbai Mirror in 2015, giving us a fraction of hint about the star he has become.
#2 Pardeep Narwal – India and Patna Pirates
The brightest and youngest star in a galaxy of stars! Pardeep Narwal, the sensation has earned a reputation for himself with Pro Kabaddi. He finished as the Best Young Player and the Most Valuable Player in two successive seasons of the League, the third and fourth edition.
If that was not enough, in the same seasons he won two consecutive titles with the Patna Pirates, leading the charge with his rampant raids! He largely emerged out of the shadows of far more experienced campaigners like Rahul Chaudhari to seal his spot in the Starting Seven at the World Cup and amassed a total of 47 raid points in 7 matches to finish as India’s second best raider only behind Ajay Thakur.
All in all, he is a versatile bag house of talent with his trademark move being the “dubki” which he has mastered to perfection and is often referred to as the “dubki master” as well. Along with, talent and skills, Pardeep has time by his side and thus, surely has a long way to go.
#3 Ajay Thakur – India and Puneri Paltan
Cometh the global stage, cometh the old star Ajay Thakur. The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in India saw the rebirth and rise of the tall, lanky raider Ajay Thakur. “Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee,” those who have seen Ajay Thakur in action at the World Cup can vouch for this, but this was not the case in the last two editions of the Pro Kabaddi League wherein defenders found it very easy to trap him.
Having scored 122 and 79 raid points in the first two seasons, Thakur managed only 52 and 63 in the last two. Despite having to settle for the bench in Pro Kabaddi, Thakur did make it to the World Cup squad in terms of talent and legacy; and rightly so, for he seemed like an all-together different player when donning the Indian jersey.
He finished as the best raider in the tournament with 64 raid points, ripping the opposing defence apart on many occasions. Time and again he rescued his side from tight situations and put India on the pinnacle of world kabaddi once again in the capacity of a match-winner. With 5 Super 10’s, including one in the final match against Iran, he scripted his fairy-tale comeback.
#4 Manjeet Chhillar – India and Puneri Paltan
The wrestler who switched over to kabaddi and became a luminary in the sport. Manjeet Chhillar – perhaps India’s best all-rounder, with over 400 points in the four seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League, is the only player to average above 100 points per season. A champion in his right, he constantly treads the thin line between aggression and over-confidence but usually ends up on the right side of the mat with his exploits and style of play.
A solid defender especially when it comes to advance tackles, Manjeet was at his best in 2016, first for the Puneri Paltan and then the Indian team at the World Cup ending up on the leaderboard with 21 successful tackles. The viewers were treated to an enthralling display of his most lethal moves; the dash, body block and thigh hold through-out, as he never missed a chance to prove his match-winning abilities.
#5 Fazel Atrachali – Iran and Patna Pirates
The “Smiling Assassin” from the land of Iran. Fazel Atrachali is a defender who rarely makes a reckless move, and when he commits to a tackle, it is with an iron grip on the approaching raiders. In Pro Kabaddi’s season 3, he played second fiddle to Surender Nada initially but then when Nada was unavailable due to international commitments or injury concerns; Fazel made the left corner his very own.
Rising every bit to the given opportunity, he finished the season with a superb tackle conversion rate of 69.7%. In the next edition of Pro Kabaddi, he switched over to Patna Pirates outfit and went on score a mammoth total of 52 tackle points, the maximum for any player in season 4 and earned himself the Best Defender award.
Such performances wherein he showcased everything from ferocious ankle and thigh holds and strong dashes across the mat made him a household name in India, and he was a player to watch out for at the World Cup in October. True to his reputation and stature, he led his Iran’s defensive charge and finished the tournament with 21 successful tackles, ending up second on the leaderboard just behind Surjeet.
