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Strength, perseverance and dedication. These are only a few characteristics an athlete should possess in a game as gruelling as kabaddi.
Serving the Indian Armed forces not only demands undying commitment, it also brings out the aforementioned traits in the candidate.
For a while, cricket played a major role in Indian society while kabaddi was played only in some nooks and corners. However, with the introduction of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014, the outlook towards the sport completely changed. The extravaganza lured more people into watching the sport and also gave local talent a global platform to showcase their skills.
Apart from churning out talent from all corners of the country, the sport also shed light on some of the stars who serve in the Indian Armed forces. On that note, here are four special talents from the IAF who have made a big mark in the Pro Kabaddi League.
#1 Surjeet (Bengal Warriors)
Having started playing the game at the age of 15 inspired by his former U-Mumba team-mates Anup Kumar and Rakesh Kumar, Surjeet credits the game of kabaddi for changing his life.
At the raw age of 17, Surjeet's experience at the national level gave him a spot in the Services team while he also worked as a havaldar in the Indian Navy for more than seven years.
He has been one of the top defenders in the league and this time, he will lead the Bengal Warriors in the latest edition of the competition. The right cover was bought by the Kolkata side for Rs 73 lakh, making him one of the most expensive buys in the auction.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five PKL stars who are die-hard fans of other sportspersons
#2 Monu Goyat (Patna Pirates)
One of the upcoming raiders in the Pro Kabaddi League, Monu Goyat was a crucial part of the Bengal Warriors outfit after he was picked in the player draft of 2014.
Although the Bengal Warriors did not have the best of seasons last time around, ending up with the wooden spoon, Goyat was probably the only bright spark apart from Jang Kun-Lee.
In the 13 matches Goyat represented the Warriors, he picked up a total of 59 raid points and finished 10th on the list of highest raid points for the season. Along with Jang Kun-Lee, he formed a reasonable attacking partnership.
For PKL 5, Goyat will be representing the Patna Pirates and he'll hope to form a vital partnership with star raider Pardeep Narwal and help the defending champions retain their title.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Kabaddi comic book becoming quite the rage in Japan
#3 Nitin Tomar ( U.P Yoddha)
If anyone was to say that Kabaddi was not a sport through which a lot of money could be made, they should be introduced to Nitin Tomar. The services player was the talk of the town at the conclusion of the PKL 5 auction, having been roped in for a whopping 93 lakhs.
Having watched the auctions along with his family members, Tomar went on to sheepishly admit the fact that he could hardly control his excitement when the hammer was finally down, sending him into the history books as the costliest player in the PKL.
Born into a family of professional wrestlers, Tomar was moving towards the sport of wrestling before kabaddi caught his interest. After joining the Indian Navy, Tomar honed his skills and came into the spotlight with his spectacular show in PKL 3, with 77 points for the Bengal Warriors.
However, an injury hampered his participation in PKL 4 but his exploits combined from both seasons earned him his maiden call-up to the Indian national Kabaddi team where he played alongside the likes of Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chhillar etc.
In the auctions ahead of PKL 5, he was bought by U.P Yoddha, a team that is set to represent his hometown, Uttar Pradesh and the talented raider will look to bring all his experience into play and take his team through in their debut season.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: The amazing story of Kabaddi's shift from mud to mat
#4 Rohit Kumar (Bengaluru Bulls)
Arguably one of the finest raiders in the Pro Kabaddi League, Rohit Kumar has been an asset to both the Patna Pirates and the Bengaluru Bulls right through his PKL career.
Just the fact that Bengaluru Bulls shelled out a mammoth 81 lakhs to opt for the services of the talented raider speaks volumes about how much of an importance the raider was to the Bulls in the previous season, tackling difficult situations with aplomb on more than a couple of occasions.
Rohit Kumar shot into the limelight with his spectacular raids in season three with the Patna Pirates, amassing a total of 80 points apart from tackle points which also entitled him to the MVP award at the end of the season.
Ahead of season 4, Rohit was bought by the Bengaluru Bulls and he continued his form for the Bulls, ending the season with the highest number of raid points (75 in total) through many injuries and problems during the season.
The Navy Man has used his good reach to fabulous effect and his understanding of the situation right throughout the game earned him the captain's band in the latter part of season 4 but the Bulls lacked the required chemistry to make the playoffs.
Come season 5, Rohit Kumar will hope for a better season personally and from a team perspective, appointed with the captain's role right from the time the Bulls step onto the mat for their first game.
