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Puneri Paltan captain Fazel Atrachali recently recalled his early days as a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) player. Atrachali was one of the first Iranian players to feature in the league. He was signed by U Mumba in the second season.
Atrachali was not a regular member of U Mumba's starting seven, but he managed to play five matches, where he earned 11 tackle points. He even recorded his first High 5 that season.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Fazel Atrachali shared his experience of playing in his debut PKL season, saying:
"You know, first time when I came here, nobody helped me. Nobody told me how things work here. I didn't know anything. Things like who is the manager, we will go in home or hotel or what is the language of them, I didn't know anything. Nobody told me because nobody was here."
The majority of the players and support staff members at U Mumba were Indians, which is why they could not communicate well with Fazel Atrachali. The Iranian star also mentioned that he struggled with ordering food during his early days in the PKL.
I told them everything that these are the rules: Fazel Atrachali narrates how he helps new Iranian players
Fazel Atrachali further said that although he faced many issues in his first season, he now makes sure that none of his compatriots face those same problems. Whenever a new Iranian player joins a PKL team, Atrachali guides them with his experience.
"The first season for me was difficult, and I had lots of experiences, but after me, all the young Iran players who join, I told them everything that these are the rules. You should be like this, and you should go there, their language is like this. I helped them about everything. For them, it is easy now. I gave them so much experience," said Atrachali.
Fazel will be in action this Saturday as Puneri Paltan take on the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the Pro Kabaddi 2022 final. It will be interesting to see if Pune can win their maiden title.
