The one thing about Pro Kabaddi, as a tournament, that stands out is its pace and how fast things happen, thereby not giving anyone any time to breathe, be it the teams, players or anyone associated with it. However, some teams, after playing continuous for days, get some time off and they look to unwind in that duration. U Mumba players Rakesh Kumar and Surjeet did some unwinding by attending an event at the Havmor Ice Cream parlour in New Delhi.
U Mumba have just one game left in Pro Kabaddi 2016 Season 4 and they are currently fourth with 37 points from 13 games. However, Puneri Paltan have played one game less than them and have a much better score difference, which puts U Mumba’s chances of qualifiying in the hands of other teams. A lot will have to go in U Mumba’s favour for them to be able to make it to the final four.
Talking about the morale in the camp, Rakesh Kumar said, “Obviously we are disappointed that our chances of qualifying are not that great. There is not much wrong with the team except for the fact that it was a new combination and we were a little weak in defence throughout the season. The departure of Vishal Mane and Mohit Chillar has clearly made a difference but we are still keeping our fingers crossed.”
Kumar, who has been playing kabaddi since the 1990s, said that Pro Kabaddi has changed the lives of players and he wished that, for himself, it would have been started a little earlier. “It feels great to be recognised wherever you go and get appreciated by people. I started playing kabaddi in mid 1990s and things would have been so different had Pro Kabaddi started when I was at the peak of my career,” he added.
Upon being asked about how much longer will he play in Pro Kabaddi, Rakesh said, “I want to continue playing and will keep going till fitness allows and my team needs me. I think I can go on for another two to three seasons. After that, I do not know for sure whether I will become a coach but I will remain with U Mumba, guaranteed. This is my team now.”
Surjeet, talking about his experience with U Mumba so far, said, “I have a learnt a lot from these senior players and it has helped me improve my game. When you are in the presence of the likes of Rakesh Kumar and Anup Kumar, the learning comes automatically and it improves your game significantly.”
Ankit Chona, Managing Director, Havmor Ice Cream Ltd said, spoke about his company’s partnership with U Mumba and how it is connected to the sport of kabaddi. “Our partnership with U Mumba is a strategic move to support Kabaddi, a traditional Indian sport. It also gives us the opportunity to tap into the fan base of U Mumba and the Pro Kabaddi League as a whole.
Through the continuous engagements planned by us via digital and various below the line activations around the League, we aim to build a strong connect with fans of the sport and our customers. We are excited about this association with U Mumba, which is one of the strongest teams in the League.”
