Two-time Asian Games gold medallist Anup Kumar from Haryana will lead India in next month's Kabaddi World Cup to be held in Ahmedabad. All-rounder Manjeet Chillar will be Anup's deputy in the 14-member squad for the tournament that is set to take place from October 7 to 22.
Mridul Bhadauria, president, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) announced the Indian side for the World Cup in Mumbai on Tuesday. The official jersey of team India for the tournament was also unveiled and presented to the Indian contingent by World Cup winning Indian Cricket Team Captain Kapil Dev.
India's side looks immensely talented in every position. ManjeetChhillar is a giant of the sport and perhaps the world's best defender. Anup Kumar is unparalleled whether as a raider or as a captain with an uncanny knack of assessing match situations and turning it in the team's favour.
On the other hand, there are dynamic young players like Rahul Chaudhari and PardeepNarwal who can single-handedly win matches with their performances. This has been proven time and again in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi league. Anup Kumar walked away with the Most Valuable Player award in Season 1, Manjeet Chhillar in Season 2, and PardeepNarwal in Season 4. Rahul Chaudhari has won the Best Raider Award in Season 1 and 4. With this strong squad, it will be a chance for the Indian team to put up a stellar show during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.
Balwan Singh, National Coach, Indian Kabaddi Team is expecting a tough challenge.
"The training camp hosted in Ahmedabad involved rigorous training that helped us select the right set of players for the Indian squad. Our aim is to have a balanced team composition for the upcoming World Cup. We are expecting the tournament to be more competitive than ever this year. It will be the biggest challenge that the Indian team has faced in recent times," Balwan said.
Anup expressed his delight to lead the team. "I am extremely honoured to lead the country for the Kabaddi World Cup. It's every sportsperson's dream to represent their country at a global stage. I'm proud of my team and we will all work towards bringing honour to India," he added.
The Kabaddi World Cup Ahmedabad is all set to bring nations belonging to diverse geographies- USA, England, Australia, Iran, Poland, Thailand, Bangladesh, South Korea, Japan, Argentina and Kenya- to the home of Kabaddi.
Cricket legend and captain of the 1983 World Cup winning team, Kapil Dev, unveiled the team jersey.
Janardhan Singh Gehlot, President International Kabaddi Federation was also present.
Star Sports will be the official broadcaster of Kabaddi World Cup.