Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is back with its 4th season in the last 24 months and this time, it promises to be better, bigger and more entertaining than ever with players from 12 different nationalities ready to battle it out in 7 different cities across the country.
The newest addition to the Bengaluru Bulls franchise and also the most expensive buy at season 4 auctions, Mohit Chhillar in an exclusive conversation with Sportskeeda’s kabaddi experts Saransh Gehlot and Abhishek Jain where he talks about his new team, head coaches, his journey and a lot more!
Excerpts:
Q: Both of you and Surender Nada were tremendous for the Mumbai-based franchise U Mumba in the first 3 season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi? Do you think you can replicate the co-ordination in the Bulls side?
A: Our combination has worked quite well for our previous team and I am sure we can replicate the level of performances for our new franchise. Our head coach (Mr. Randhir Singh) has spent a lot of time with us in order to make us familiar with our new team and help us to settle down.
Q: What are your expectations from your new franchise?
A: Bengaluru Bulls is a very good side with a very good record in the 1st two seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League. Even this new team is looking very balanced, strong in all the areas and I am hopeful of a very good season 4 with my new side.
“The most important advice that he gave us is good things will happen if we would play fair and hard!”
Q: Mr. Randhir Singh is a very experienced coach in the sport of kabaddi, What all advice he has given you leading to the season 4 of PKL?
A: He has made us work really hard in the practice sessions in order to prepare us for the upcoming season and told us to play a confident game on the mat irrespective of what the result might be. The most important advice that he gave us is good things will happen if we would play fair and hard!
Q: He is known for promoting young players, you are also quite young (just 23 years) yourself, what all you aim to learn from his vast experience?
A: Most importantly, he has already told me about what all my strengths and weaknesses are. We are continuously working towards that goal where we reduce our weaknesses to the minimum.
Q: Can you tell us in brief about how you started playing kabaddi at such a tender age (your journey)? We have learnt that there were no professional coaches in Nizampur at that time?
A: It all started in my hometown (Nizampur), my father also played kabaddi in his early years. But main guidance I got was from my paternal uncle Sanjay, who taught me all the basics you need to play the sport. There we don’t have any professional coaches to help us in our training, so the senior players like Manjeet Chhillar and Rakesh Kumar (who are also from the same town) used to coach the youngsters and I hope to continue the tradition in that way.
Q: You have been bought for a record price of INR 53 Lakhs, which has also made you the most expensive signing at the recently concluded PKL auctions. Did you expect that?
A: Never expected this much of course, but had a little feeling that it would be on a higher side.
Q: Your performances have been improving season after season in the PKL, what is your aim for this season with the Banglore side?
A: It is very important for me to keep improving, if I improve my game, that would surely help the team to improve their game on the whole. Kabaddi is a team sport so every player has to play his part for the team to do well and my target is always to help the team to achieve theirs.
Bulls start their campaign against last season’s semi-finalist Bengal Warriors on 26th June 2016 at DOME@NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai.
