Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Five veteran players who will find the long season tough
The first season of Pro Kabaddi League lasted for around 40 days, and yet when it came to the final when Jaipur Pink Panthers overcame U Mumba, a lot of experts were of the opinion that the Mumbai side had a depleted force due to players that they had lost out on due to injury concerns. The fact that Kabaddi is an energy sapping and exhausting sport, which requires a player’s cent percent fitness, is not unknown.
The fifth instalment of the league, however, is going to take place at a scale which is probably 50% of a notch above the previous seasons. With four new teams, the tournament will commence on the 28th of July and span for a good 90 days before the final encounter is staged on the 28th of October.
It will not only be a mental and physical test for the players, moreover, it shall be the ‘survival of the fittest.’ The young guns will have it considerably easier but a concern for most teams will be their veteran recruits.
The experienced campaigners may be replete with skills and talent, but will they be able to sustain themselves physically over the course of the league? Sportskeeda looks at five veteran players who will probably find the long season tough to deal with.
#5 Dharmaraj Cheralathan
“Anna” as he is fondly referred to in the kabaddi circles, 43-year old Dharmaraj Cheralathan has been one player who has not shied from any challenge in the sport. Having played more than three teams in the Pro Kabaddi League while also shining for the Indian team when national duty beckons, Cheralathan has never succumbed to any major injuries in his career.
A lot of it can be attributed to his personal emphasis on fitness, and he is well aware of the challenge that lies ahead in the bigger and longer fifth edition. This was evident when he was quoted as saying to Sportstar that, “This is going to be the real test of endurance and stamina — and not just skills — as it also involves a lot of travelling too.”