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The 13th South Asian Games is set to commence from 1 December and culminate on 10 December 2019 in Kathmandu-Pokhara, Nepal. Kabaddi event at the South Asian Games will get contested from 4th to 9th December 2019.
The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) announced a 12-member men's squad for the Indian kabaddi team. Deepak Niwas Hooda will be captaining the men's side for the first time. Pawan Sehrawat has got announced as the vice-captain for the kabaddi event at South Asian Games.
The team has announced a formidable side this year based upon their performances in the 66th Senior Nationals. However, their form based upon the seventh season of Pro Kabaddi will play a crucial role in the newly-revamped Indian team at the South Asian Games.
On that note, let's look at three players to watch out for in the Indian kabaddi team.
#3 Nitesh Kumar
Nitesh Kumar has been one of the fastest emerging right corners in Kabaddi today. He has grown into a stalwart, whether it be playing for the Services in the Senior Nationals or representing UP Yoddha in the Pro Kabaddi League. He has silenced the mightiest of raiders with his precise ankle-holds and thigh holds, which make him a lethal defender in the sport.
Nitesh played a pivotal role in taking Services to the finals of the 66th Senior Nationals, leading the defensive font on his own. In the PKL, he made his debut as a New Young Player (NYP) in Season 5. Nitesh went on to record history with 100 tackle points in a single season that came in the sixth edition. Following his success, he led UP Yoddha to the playoffs of Season 7 after being adjudged as the captain of the side.
The thigh-hold specialist could form a lethal pair with Surender Nada in the corner defense, as he specializes in providing decent support to his corner pair. He could be India's X-factor as the team prepares to clinch their 10th gold medal at the South Asian Games 2019.
#2 Naveen Kumar
The 'Most Valuable Player' of the recently-concluded seventh season of Pro Kabaddi - Naveen Kumar has scaled heights at such a young age with his consistent raiding performances. He etched his name into the record books this year and took his team Dabang Delhi K.C. to the finals single-handedly.
With over 300 raid points, Naveen Goyat scored 22 Super-10s in the seventh season, with 21 of them scored consecutively. He scored Dabang Delhi's 56.58% raid points with his precise running hand touches and bonuses. He has also been a vital player in the Services team in the Senior Nationals, led the raiding charges in the presence of Monu Goyat and Manjeet Dahiya, and took the team to the finals.
Naveen Goyat is indeed the future of the Indian kabaddi team and could be India's dependable raider in the South Asian Games 2019. His flamboyant raiding style will be valuable against the top defense of Pakistan and Bangladesh in his first stint in Indian colors.
#1 Pawan Sehrawat
In just two seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League, 'Hi-Flyer' Pawan Sehrawat has wreaked havoc with his stellar raiding skills in the tournament. The green arm-band holder in the recent two seasons of the league took Bengaluru Bulls to their maiden title in Season 6.
Pawan has taken the Kabaddi world by storm with him performing all the raiding moves with precision. In such a short period, Pawan's raiding heroics has turned him into an unstoppable force to reckon. While he led Bulls to win their maiden title in the sixth season, Pawan also captained the team in the absence of Rohit Kumar this year. He led the team to the playoffs on his own, scoring 346 raid points in the recently-concluded seventh season.
Pawan got announced as the vice-captain of the Indian kabaddi team earlier in AKFI's 12-member team announcement. Pawan's capability to deliver in the mightiest of pressure situations could pave the success for India's possible gold medal at the South Asian Games 2019.
