2016 Kabaddi World Cup: Know your Indian squad of 14 players
India will be the favourites to win the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, to be held at The Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad, India. A victory at home will mean that India can win a hattrick of title as they have previously won the World Cup in 2004 and 2007 as well.
India have been paired with five other teams in Pool A – England, Australia, Bangladesh, South Korea and Argentina. The last two editions have seen India winning the final match in a convincing fashion, and they are again expected to retain their title.
We take a look at the 14-member Indian team which will take part in the tournament:
#1 Anup Kumar (Captain)
Position: Raider
Pro Kabaddi League team: U Mumba
Anup Kumar is the captain of the Indian national team as well as his Pro Kabaddi league team, U Mumba. The Indian hails from the state of Haryana where he started playing the sport as a hobby and is now considered as one of the best raiders in kabaddi’s history. The 32-year old had joined the CRPF in 2005, where he practiced the sport, and later went on to represent India for the first time at the 2006 South Asian Games in Sri Lanka.
Anup went on to win two Asian Games gold medals with the Indian national kabaddi team in 2010 and 2014. He won the Most Valuable Player award in the first season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League.
#2 Ajay Thakur
Position: Raider
Pro Kabaddi League team: Puneri Paltan
Ajay Thakur is one of the few senior players who have been chosen to feature in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup for India. The Indian raider had first won gold with the national team at the 2007 Asian Indoor Games and has since been a regular in the team. He has also played at 2014 Asian Games where India bagged a gold. Ajay, with his experience, has won numerous medals including golds medals at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games 2013, and the 2014 Asian Games.
In Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, Thakur currently plays for has played for two teams – Bengaluru Bulls and Puneri Paltan.
#3 Deepak Hooda
Position: All-Rounder
Pro Kabaddi League team: Puneri Paltan
Deepak Hooda hails from the small town of Chamaria, near Rohtak, and has had to fight a lot of odds to reach the stage where he stands now. Hooda has been playing professionally for the last 6 years, two of which have been in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League with the Puneri Paltan franchise. Recently, the all-rounder has been a part of the Indian squad at the 2016 South Asian Games where India won the gold medal.
A fierce all-rounder, he is known for his powerful raids and solid defensive qualities. He will be a formidable addition to the Indian team for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.
#4 Dharmaraj Cheralathan
Position: Defender
Pro Kabaddi League team: Patna Pirates
Dharmaraj Cheralathan, who is fondly referred to as Anna by his team mates, is one of the best kabaddi defenders at the age of 41. He had played for the Bengaluru Bulls in the first two seasons of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, and made the shift to Telugu Titans side in the third season. His performances led him to play for Patna Pirates in the fourth season of the league where he emerged as the winning captain.
Cheralathan is an expert at both the right and left corner of the mat, accumulating several tackles under his belt across four seasons. Having represented India and Railways, the Indian defender is one of the true greats to have played the sport as he has won many national laurels over a long, and esteemed career.