Pro Kabaddi 2018: Anup Kumar announces retirement after a career of 15 years
What's the story?
Former Indian national kabaddi team captain Anup Kumar has announced his retirement from the sport after an illustrious career spanning a period of fifteen years.
In case you didn't know...
Anup Kumar has been a part of the national kabaddi setup since making his debut at the South Asian Games in 2006 in Sri Lanka. He has played all the six seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League so far, featuring for the U Mumba franchise in the first five seasons and is currently a part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers.
The heart of the matter
Anup Kumar has decided to call an end on his playing career after fifteen years at the international level for the Indian national side.
'Captain Cool', as he was dubbed for his calm demeanour and strategic ability on the mat, has been the torchbearer of the sport in the nation for a long period of time. He was a part of the Indian national kabaddi side that won the Asian Games gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 editions in Guangzhou and Incheon, respectively.
Kumar was the captain of the side during the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and two years later, led the team to World Cup glory in 2016 winning the cup on home soil in Ahmedabad. He was felicitated with the Arjuna Award in 2012 for his exceptional contribution to Kabaddi in India.
In his Pro Kabaddi League career, he led the U Mumba franchise for the first five years taking the side to three consecutive finals, a record that has not been achieved by any other captain in the league. Anup Kumar was the highest points scorer in the inaugural season of the PKL with a tally of 169 points.
He led the U Mumba side to the PKL championship in the Season 2 and stayed their skipper till the end of season 5. At this year's PKL Auction, he was picked by Jaipur Pink Panthers and was handed the role of the captain.
What's next?
We here at Sportskeeda would like to thank Anup Kumar for the great entertainment he has provided as a player and would like to wish him a very happy retirement.