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In the last three seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), one name has repeatedly made the rounds, and for no small reason. Be it from fans, pundits or even during player interactions, it wouldn't be a surprise at all if the name 'Naveen Kumar' pops up regularly in conversation.
Such is the impact that Naveen has had on Pro Kabaddi that he's quite often the focal point of attraction, and the outpouring of love and screams of "Naveen, Naveen" every time he comes onto the mat is enough evidence as proof of this fact.
In his glittering PKL journey so far, Naveen's registered 771 raid points from 69 matches - a terrific average of just over 11. As if that isn't enough to prove why he's the apple of everyone's eye, he took home the 'Most Valuable Player' award after playing a major role in Dabang Delhi KC's first championship win in PKL 8 - a title that had evaded them for seven PKL seasons.
It's not just the fans who place Naveen on such a high pedestal, he's also an idol to a few of his own teammates - most of whom have got a chance in Pro Kabaddi through the New Young Player (NYP) program.
One such youngster, raider Manjeet is living his dream of playing alongside Naveen 'bhaiyya', with the former serving in his role as secondary raider at Dabang Delhi to good effect in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
Manjeet's accounted for 43 points from 7 matches so far, and while that does not paint a picture too pretty, he's done more than enough to bring Naveen back on the mat quick enough when the Delhi captain is tackled by the opposition.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Manjeet expressed excitement at partnering Naveen on the raiding front, what it means to be a part of Delhi's playing 7 and more.
"Naveen bhaiyya has been my idol since childhood, my dream has been to play with him. We know each other from a young age, I've known him since I was 14 years old. It's amazing to see how he performs not only as a player but as captain of our team."
"He gives me a sense of freedom to go and express myself, and he keeps saying that every player in our team is a captain and we should all play freely without any pressure."
"Saw Pardeep Narwal, Joginder Narwal on TV and wanted to play in that Pro Kabaddi too" - Dabang Delhi's Manjeet
Hailing from the very famous Rindhana village of Haryana, Manjeet's exposure to some of kabaddi's biggest names in his childhood tempted the talented youngster to consider playing the sport as a career option.
Rindhana is home to the who's who of kabaddi, with the likes of 'Dubki King' Pardeep Narwal, veteran defender Joginder Narwal among others coming through to the big stage of Pro Kabaddi from around the same village.
Manjeet's foray into the sport, though, came mainly through his father, who himself was one among the very good kabaddi players from Rindhana.
"My father would play a lot of kabaddi and he was a great player, so I picked up the sport from him. He made me start playing kabaddi and I had to work hard for a lot of years, playing alongside all the seniors in my village."
"I saw Joginder and Pardeep bhaisaab on TV and I was convinced I wanted to play in Pro Kabaddi. So I kept performing well in domestic tournaments, and thankfully coach Krishan Hooda sir selected me in the auction. The respect is the same for the senior players even now, when I see them I touch their feet and say 'Ram Ram', that will never change."
Following one's passion is a lot easier than deciding to move away from mainstream jobs to pursue it as a passion, but in Manjeet's case, full-fledged support from his family helped the youngster focus on his dream - to feature in the PKL.
"My father stopped playing and he helped me to practice a lot. My family never raised an issue of me playing, they took care of everything. My father is a farmer and my mother is a housewife. I have three older brothers, one younger brother and a sister, all of them have always supported my dream of playing. "
Now that Manjeet's played in the Pro Kabaddi League and is earning a massive reputation for himself, the 19-year-old raider is keen to shape his personality through learnings from the league.
"When you play in Pro Kabaddi, gradually, your personality changes a lot. I remember before my first match against U Mumba, I was very scared. But now I am used to the lights and the sound, we are taken care of very well and the practice is going on without any problem. I am trying to learn a lot and improve myself, especially on the discipline and commitment front."
As for his personal goals for Pro Kabaddi 2022, Manjeet's got a clear cut idea of what he wishes to achieve.
"I want to win the best NYP award for this season and help Dabang Delhi win the title again, that's all."
In the absence of Dabang Delhi's regular starter Vijay Malik due to injury, Manjeet's grabbed his opportunity to feature on the sacred Pro Kabaddi mat with both hands.
Despite not accruing most of the limelight as part of the Delhi team, the exciting raider has still delivered time and time again, playing a major role in the Naveen Kumar-led side's success story so far in Pro Kabaddi 2022.
