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Siddharth Desai is one of the most successful raiders in Pro Kabaddi League history. He made a name for himself with excellent performances for U Mumba and Telugu Titans in PKL. He played like a lone warrior for the Titans in season seven.
After his brilliance for two PKL teams, Siddharth Desai is all set to debut for another franchise in the Pro Kabaddi League. Manpreet Singh's Haryana Steelers shelled out a whopping ₹1 crore to sign Desai at the PKL 2023 Auction.
Ahead of Haryana Steelers' opening match of PKL 2023 against UP Yoddhas on December 6, Siddharth Desai caught up with Sportskeeda for an exclusive chat. Here are the excerpts.
Excerpts from Siddharth Desai's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda:
Q. How has your experience been at Haryana Steelers so far? What do you think about the team's strengths and weaknesses?
Siddharth Desai: Right now, the pre-season camp is going on. It's almost been a month now, so we are working on weaknesses. I think we have a very good team. Our coaches and team management have assembled a great squad.
We have some young talents in NYP Category from Maharashtra and Haryana. Also, the experienced players Naveen and Vinay were retained, plus K Prapanjan and Chandran Ranjit also have a lot of experience. You will get to see a good team this year.
Q. As you said, you have Chandran Ranjit, Prapanjan and even Ashish in the squad. So what will be your role? A lead raider or a secondary raider?
Siddharth Desai: Right now, the strategy is being prepared. We have not decided who will be the main raider. Whichever raider will perform well, he will be our lead raider.
Q. How much did injuries impact your performance in the last few PKL seasons?
Siddharth Desai: I underwent surgery and have no issues with my shoulder now. I had a great season last year, where I scored around 150 points. This time also, I am completely fit and surely, our team will do well and my performance will also be good.
Q. You were with Telugu Titans last season. Now, you will play for Haryana Steelers. Is there any difference in the atmosphere of the two teams?
Siddharth Desai: I played for Telugu Titans in the last 3 seasons. I built good relationships with team management and even players. Now, my team has changed.
I have been at the camp of Haryana Steelers for 1 month, and I feel lucky to be a part of this team. We have a sports science team and a management team, which supports me a lot. I have issues with weight also, so our team has a dietician, there is also a sports psychologist to maintain good mental health, so one has all the support available to become a good player.
Q. Haryana Steelers bought your services for ₹1 crore. Will there be any pressure of the price tag?
Siddharth Desai: No, there is no pressure. Even if I was sold for a lower amount, I would have tried to give my 100%. I will try to give my 100% as well.
Q. Your performances dipped due to injuries. How did your family and your brother Suraj Desai support you in that period?
Siddharth Desai: Injuries are part and parcel of the game. It can happen any time. You must have seen many big players are getting injured. Last season, Pawan also got injured, Naveen also keeps getting such injuries, so it keeps happening because kabaddi is a contact sport. It has been very difficult to return to the old form, but we have been trying, and will continue to try our best to return to our old form.
Yes, my father has also been a kabaddi player, so there was no problem with the family. My elder brother is in the army, and he has also been a Kabaddi player, and we played season 7 together. So, my elder brother has mentored me at every step.
Earlier, I was in the Army, so Pro Kabaddi started around that time. So I wanted to play Kabaddi, so my brother supported me to resign from the army. Every time, even in Pune, he used to play in my club. So my brother also used to practice with me in the team. And I got to learn a lot of skills and techniques from my brother. So my family has always been supportive of my game.
Q. How has been your experience of working with Haryana Steelers coach Manpreet Singh?
Siddharth Desai: I was with one coach for two-three seasons, Jagadeesh Kumble Sir. I have played under Gholamreza Sir at U Mumba. I had very good experiences with him also. I always felt Manpreet Singh was an aggressive coach, but after joining this team, I came to know that he is a very understanding person.
For him, every player is important for him, be it NYP or senior. He treats everyone equally. He is trying to understand every player's strengths and weaknesses and trying to work on them. Also, he has told us that everyone knows kabaddi well, but you have to keep adding one or two skills every year so that you can achieve success in PKL.
Q. Have you set any personal goals for PKL 10?
Siddharth Desai: Yes, I would like to see my team qualify. And after that, I also look at my performance very consciously. I also want to perform my best. And our team will definitely do well this time.
Q. Any specific challenges you have in mind ahead of the new season?
Siddharth Desai: Not any specific challenge. I will try to produce an even better performance than the one I gave in U Mumba.
Q. How important will the support of fans be in PKL 10?
Siddharth Desai: My fan following will increase in Haryana if I keep performing well for the Steelers. Support from fans is very important. Our team Haryana Steelers is liked by many people from Haryana state and also from other states.
So always support from fans, whatever state they are from, support from fans is important. Because of their support, we have reached this level. And for us to do well in the future also, it is very important to have their support.
Q. Any youngsters you are looking forward to watching from the Haryana Steelers team this season?
Siddharth Desai: Vishal Tate, who is from Pune, is a very good young player and Shivam, who is from Mumbai, Hardeep from Haryana. They have been doing well and the team is practicing well and I have seen them on the mat, they have a fighting spirit, it is visible. So I think these players will be helpful to the team this season.
Q. Do you think injuries affected your chances of playing for the Indian national kabaddi team?
Siddharth Desai: Yes, injury is a part of the game, I am injury-free now. I had surgery on my shoulder a year ago, I have recovered well after that. And if I ever get a chance to play for India in the future, then I will definitely play, I will definitely try for it.
Q. You have been practicing at IIS. Even U Mumba has been practicing there. What is the special thing about IIS?
Siddharth Desai: The best thing here is that the strength and fitness level and endurance of every player is different, so we cannot manage the same fitness and diet plan for everyone. So here we are at IIS, there is a sports science team. After coming to the institute, the sports science team tested me completely, measured my strength level, my body fat, how much fat I have to gain.
After that they also gave me a workout plan. They give two sessions to all the players, but I have a separate session to work on my shoulders, and I have also maintained a very good diet. So, this time we will enter the season fully prepared.
