"No one in my family plays kabaddi" - How Ankit Jaglan made it big from Nauhra village to ₹31.5 lakh Pro Kabaddi contract
Ankit Jaglan grabbed the headlines at the PKL 2023 auction when the Patna Pirates spent ₹31.5 lakh to acquire his services. It is rare to see a team spending such a big sum of money to sign a Category D player but the three-time champions went all out for the left corner defender.
Jaglan impressed straightaway by scoring a High 5 on debut against the Telugu Titans. He had to fill the big shoes of Mohammadreza Shadlu, who has moved to Puneri Paltan and Jaglan has done a decent job so far.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Ankit shared the details of his journey from Nauhra village to PKL. Here are the excerpts:
Excerpts from Ankit Jaglan's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda
Q. Tell us about your kabaddi journey.
Ankit Jaglan: I started playing kabaddi after seeing the people in my village. No one in my family plays kabaddi. I am the only kabaddi player from my family. I would go to a ground with one of my neighbors and there I started playing kabaddi. I am from Nauhra village of Panipat in Haryana.
I started playing around 2012-13. In 2016-17, I got a chance to play Junior Nationals for Haryana in Patna. Then, I got selected for SAI at Sonepat. I stayed there for two years. I got a job in 2019. After that, I also played for the Red Army team. Then, I got selected for the Pro Kabaddi League.
Redu Sir and Chaprana Sir scouted me there. The transition from there to PKL has been smooth.
Q. What challenges did you face in your journey?
Ankit Jaglan: I faced many challenges. I got hurt and then I had to take rest. After taking some rest, I came back. I never got demotivated. Coach sir always gave me chances to play again. Because of Redu Sir and Chaprana Sir, I am in PKL now.
Q. Did your family support you in your kabaddi journey?
Ankit Jaglan: Yes, my family supported me a lot. My friends also supported me. My elder brother Sonu and my parents backed me in my journey. Everyone is happy in the village now that I am playing Pro Kabaddi League, and they can watch me live on TV.
Q. How has been your experience of working under Redu Sir and Chaprana Sir?
Ankit Jaglan: Redu Sir and Chaprana Sir never put me under pressure. Not just me, other players also. They tell us it's okay if we make mistakes but try to do better.
Q. Which defender was your idol while growing up?
Ankit Jaglan: I would say Joginder Narwal. I saw him when he was at SAI and I learned from him.
Q. Patna Pirates won the first two matches and suffered three losses. Even your individual performance has declined. Your thoughts on that?
Ankit Jaglan: It is a team game. Such things keep happening. We will try to perform better in the next matches.
Q. You have replaced Mohammadreza Shadlu as the left corner of Patna Pirates. How has been the experience so far?
Ankit Jaglan: It is a big challenge. He has played three seasons and this is my first season. It is a big challenge for me. I have worked a lot under Redu Sir and Chaprana Sir. I have been working on my chain tackle skills.
Q. Who is your closest buddy in the Patna Pirates team?
Ankit: Neeraj Kumar. We have been playing together for some time. Even for Red Army, we play together. Our combination is good. We have been living together. Even Manjeet stays with us.