In a candid chat, Sonu Sood shares with Divyani Raghav about his childhood memories of playing kabaddi, how the sport has glamoured over the years and the importance of being disciplined in life
Whoever knew that Sonu Sood, the bad boy we loved to hate in Dabangg or the goofy-quirky guy in Happy New Year would be remotely interested in sportsIJ Turns out, he’s been a kabaddi fanatic his entire life. And his joys know no bound now that he has been roped in as the ambassador of Delhi Dabangs, the Pro Kabaddi team. He is smitten by the glamorous makeover of the rustic sport.
“The greatest attraction is the participation of players from Iran and Thailand. It is overwhelming to find the game crossing international waters,” an elated Sood said as we caught up with him during the announcement. “When we were young, we played in the mud, soiled ourselves and had fun. Now kabaddi has undergone a revolution, if not less. It has become more presentable in terms of the context of the battle ground and the players are using advanced techniques including somersaults. All of these have taken the game to a whole new level,” he added.
Before the big announcement, he chose to meet with the players and interact with them in a bid to know them a bit better. Sood has confidence in his team and more so in his players. He likens star performers Kashiling and Selvamani to Sachin and Virat playing in the same cricket team. Asked about his strong attachment to the Delhi team, he unabashedly answered, “I belong to Delhi and started my career from here. But by and large, I am supporting the whole game in general.” As of now, he is focusing all his energy in motivating the team members by sharing his own experiences from the movies.
He is also delighted with the increased viewership of the game and credits the audience for their support. “But there is a still a long way to go,” he said and hoped that the popularity will generate some amount of interest in the young for the sport. “I hope kids break free from their video games and play in the open. I think it is the need of the hour for parents to encourage participation in outdoor sports,” he added.
Besides, physical sports are a good way to stay fit, too, rightIJ Sood’s face lit up as he nodded in approval. Stories of his interactions and training with Jackie Chan have been fairly recent but not many would know that the actor is a fitness enthusiast. And considering the celebrity crazy people we are, he believes that his participation and association with kabaddi would encourage many to try and become fit. “People idolise celebrities, so, when the stars get associated with a cause, people follow. And I think it is a good way out if it can help to gear up our future generation,” said the Sylvester Stallone admirer.
Workout, to him, is mandatory like brushing teeth. According to him, good health cannot be achieved in a fraction of a time. The results only begin to show when we are disciplined and carry it out in through our entire lives. “It is not about making eight abs, but is more like a relay race. In this case, the baton of health is to be given through awareness to the next breeding who do not try to stay fit.”
He also shared about his experience with Jackie Chan in their new movie Kung Fu Yoga and said, “I was the part of the movie because of my fitness and in one year that I spent with Jackie Chan I learnt from him more and changed my health routines after that.” And added, “Destiny brings where you belong to.”