The Iranians are touted as the strongest challengers to the Indian supremacy in the sport of kabaddi. Their agility, skills and wrestling background are what hands them a leading and differentiating edge over their Indian counterparts. And one of the players who has been the flag bearer of Iran’s kabaddi scene is Fazel Atrachali!
Atrachali, is a player who has given a testament to his talent time and again in Pro Kabaddi, winning the second edition with U Mumba where he started of as a replacement for Surender Nada but eventually went on to make his place permanent in the playing seven.
Subsequently, Fazel switched sides and moved on to the Patna Pirates in Season 4 where he claimed not only the second PKL title with his team but also set a personal milestone by clinching the Best Defender of the Season award. In the upcoming fifth edition of the league, the stalwart from Iran will be seen playing for the Fortune Giants from Gujarat and in light of this, Sportskeeda got in touch with him for an exclusive chat. Here are some excerpts from the same:
How are you adjusting yourself to the new team environment in Gujarat?
I’m glad to be picked up by the Fortune Giants in the auctions, it’s a new team and hence everything has started from scratch. Gujarat has a lot of junior players and hence there in no dearth of talent as such, but being a senior player, I do have an added responsibility to guide them around.
How is the team shaping up for the upcoming season in terms of fitness and training?
That is one area where we are right on the mark! With two coaches, trainers and two physios (one from Europe who is great with her work) and two masseurs, our training sessions are great each day. There are hard drills at times but at the end of it all, all of us growing in terms of power, strength and skills!
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: Exclusive interview with Patna Pirates defender Vishal Mane
Which player in the Gujarat team are you excited to play alongside?
It has to be Sukesh Hegde! He is immensely talented, and I’ve seen him play for the last four seasons with the Titans, but now that we are on the same team, I have gotten to know him personally as well and he’s a great person both on and off the field!
Do you think any team had an edge over other given the kind of players they have bought at the auctions?
At the moment, all the teams seem equally strong on paper, maybe we will have a better idea once the season starts and we’re underway with a couple of city schedules. Nonetheless, I feel that this time around most matches will have a similar scoreline and hence results.
How has been the progress of kabaddi with the new teams and a longer league?
It is very good for the progress of the sport on a large scale. Moreover, it provides an increased opportunity to a lot of new players to play especially under the senior and experienced players. As for the longer league, that also works to our advantage for the players get more exposure and also more time to recover in case of injury.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: All Star 7
How do you think Pro Kabaddi and your time in India has changed your life?
It’s been a little bit of hard since I have to come to India for almost 4 months and I have my everything back in Iran but Kabaddi is the priority. I love the game and for me, Pro Kabaddi surpasses the Asian Games and the World Cup as well. In addition to that, in India, I get to train with the best of coaches and players in the likes of Anup Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Shabeer and Cheralathan which has helped me improve my own game.
Do you think Iran can overtake India in kabaddi anytime soon?
It is not impossible but quite difficult. For that purpose, we need to have good coaches and extensive training camps for the players which look after the overall development because the main challenge is to build a pool of strong players which is inherently present in India.
Which other sports interest you, and who do you look up to for motivation?
Wrestling is a sport that I admire! Iran is quite good in the sport and plus we have an Olympic medal in the same. Hamid Sorian is one man who inspires me the most, with his eight gold medals at the world championships and the Olympics.
How do you pass your free time in India?
Well, I’ve developed a liking for Bollywood and especially like watching Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan on the screen, so I catch up on their films in my free time, but the major focus is on the game and how to give my best on the mat!
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League Season 5: Kabaddi's phenomenal rise on social media
