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Sachin Tanwar has been one of the most consistent raiders in recent Pro Kabaddi League seasons. The Patna Pirates skipper made his PKL debut in season five. So far, he has played 126 matches and earned 938 raid points.
In just six seasons, Tanwar has attained the seventh position on the all-time list of Most Raid Points. He received an opportunity to lead Patna Pirates midway through the season. Under his leadership, Patna have qualified for the PKL 10 playoffs.
Notably, Tanwar has played in three PKL finals. He finished runners-up with Gujarat Giants in seasons five and six and attained the same result with Patna Pirates in season eight. This season, Sachin aims to lift his first PKL trophy.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Sachin spoke about his dream, his kabaddi journey, and his experience as Patna Pirates captain. Here are the excerpts:
Excerpts from Sachin Tanwar's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda
Q. What are your thoughts on your team's performance in PKL 10?
Sachin Tanwar: The team is performing well. Both our defense and raiding have been good so far. All our defenders are like the backbone of the team and it is only through their performance that the team is able to win.
In raiding, Sandeep Kumar is playing very well and Manjeet Dahiya is also performing well. My performance has also been good so far and it feels good when as a team we are winning continuously.
Q. As a player, when you become captain, how much extra pressure does the responsibility add?
Sachin Tanwar: I have been playing PKL for a long time now. I have also captained the junior team, so if we talk about pressure, it was not much and the crowd in Patna also supported us a lot.
Q. You have played three PKL finals with two different teams but have not won the trophy even once yet. Do you ever think about this?
Sachin Tanwar: My dream is to lift the PKL trophy but luck has not been on my side so far, and I had to face defeats in the finals. This time, our team is doing very well so far and I hope that this time my team will finally become the champion.
Q. Sudhakar M and Sandeep Kumar are performing very well this season. What are your thoughts about the young raiders?
Sachin Tanwar: Sudhakar and Sandeep are doing very well this season and their performance has benefited the team a lot. I keep telling them to play their game and not take too much pressure. Whatever is told to them, they follow it well.
Q. Tell us about the experience of winning two gold medals with Team India in 2023.
Sachin Tanwar: My dream was to play for the Indian team and it came true. It felt great that the Indian team won the gold medal in the Asian Games, and I was a part of that team. My family also felt very happy when I brought the medal. It is a matter of great pride for me.
Q. What other goals have you set for yourself in the future?
Sachin Tanwar: Right now my focus is completely on Kabaddi and my focus is to get selected in the Indian team for the upcoming Kabaddi World Cup and we become world champion there.
Q. How has PKL changed your life?
Sachin Tanwar: PKL changed our lives completely. Because of this, all our needs have been fulfilled. When I started playing well in PKL, a lot of changes happened and it also benefited me a lot.
When I started playing Kabaddi in my childhood, my family wanted me to concentrate on my studies, but I used to bunk school and go to play Kabaddi tournaments. My mother used to say that I should leave Kabaddi and concentrate on studies but I used to tell her that I will definitely do something in Kabaddi because I could not concentrate on studies.
When my uncle came to know that I play well, he supported me a lot. After that, when I started playing well consistently, my family members also started supporting me completely. When I brought the medal for the junior team, my family members were very happy.
