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"Turban is not a mere cloth that one wraps around his head, it is an honor of carrying the pride of a great history." - Anonymous
Surely, our very own beloved Surinder 'paaji' had carried a lot of self-esteem, knowing he was the only Sikh player in U Mumba's squad in season 5. This young and flamboyant upcoming star had come a long way in fulfilling his dream to play Pro Kabaddi one day, which he accomplished just at the age of 19.
Anup Kumar and Shabeer Baapu were familiar with Surinder a long time ago during the days he played KPL (a Kabaddi tournament held in district level). Their immense trust and deep understanding are what brought him into the mat.
In the 2nd match perhaps, Surinder made it into the playing 7 as the team's right corner. He did leave an impression in everybody's eyes as the tackling and 'flying' Surjeet Singh. 4 tackle points in 8 attempts were enough to make a permanent place in the starting line up.
Surinder Singh, also known as 'Suri', was born in Dehlan, a village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. His passion for Kabaddi began when he was studying at grade 6. He credits Sushil sir, who had been his trainer, as a person who improvised his numerous defending skills. He played from Sai hostel in Bilaspur as a student in grade 9.
A fierce and versatile player who can play both the right cover and the corner has many moves in his arsenal, whether it be a strong backhold or a pillar-like block or even a dash or a dive on both the knees.
It can be understood why he adapts PO Surjeet Singh as his inspiration and is a huge follower till today. He came, tackled some big renowned names and scored 58 tackle points in 152 attempts that included 3 high 5s with an average of 2.64 tackle point per match.
A powerful back hold over Mahesh Goud was the highlight tackle when Surinder got his first ever high 5 versus U.P. Yoddha. Always keen and ready to depict himself, his best scores came twice. Matches passed on, his role shifted from a right corner to the risk-taking right cover defender.
6 tackle points in 9 attempts played a vital role in winning against Bengaluru Bulls (42-30). Same figures came versus Tamil Thalaivas in Jaipur, but U Mumba had failed to earn a victory (35-38). His collective inspiration display on the mat was a match-winning dedication but U Mumba couldn't make it to the playoffs.
He respects and admires Anup Kumar as his father figure. You might have heard "Na Surinder Na!" on the mat many times but you haven't surely heard how Anup inspired him behind the scenes. As a beginner of the Pro Kabaddi league, a lot of his tackles are much precise and perfectly executed in a way that impressed his coach, E. Bhaskaran throughout the league stage.
His style of play earned him to be retained as an NYP player before Pro Kabaddi auctions got held for season 6. We are bound to be thankful to Anup Kumar in shaping such a young and exciting raider, who'll bloom just like a rising sun in the positive years of Kabaddi ahead. It will be a must-watch deadly cover-corner when Surinder Singh will make a partnership with Fazel Atrachali in Pro Kabaddi season 6.
