An insight into the mind of Anup Kumar and his raiding strategies

Anup Kumar

With the semi-finals on the horizon, there is a lot at stake. Having played some efficient and robust kabaddi throughout the tournament, U Mumba will be looking to carry this momentum into the knock-out stages. But this will be easier said than done.

With just forty minutes separating the semi-finalists from a place in the final, U Mumba’s captain, Anup Kumar talked about the worst case match scenario and how it still wouldn’t deter him from his objective of winning every game.

Sportskeeda asked him about maintaining temperament in pressure situations, to which he replied, “Every time you end up with an unsuccessful raid, your confidence takes a beating. But you can’t let that affect you. Consider this match scenario – ‘There are five minutes left and we’re trailing by ten points’; Personally, I still believe I can contribute to the team at this stage as well.”

Anup spoke at length about certain aspects that give his team the competitive edge.

He said, “If you play with a cool head, that 10-point deficit can be reduced even during the final minutes of a match. There are times when opposition teams relax during this stage. They try and attempt a needless raid. We welcome them with open arms. Our defence looks to pick up vital points at such times and when we do, as a raider it gives me confidence heading into the next raid.”

The captain stressed on being confident and positive during the entire forty minutes. Heading into the semi-finals, Anup is convinced that his team is ready and experienced to adapt to any match scenario.