Pro Kabaddi League: U Mumba - Almost the Best
Season 1 of the Star Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) took India by a storm. Fans thronged to the stadium to support the team they connected with most. U Mumba was the recipient of a fervent Mumbai crowd.
The name Mumba represents the island that gave birth to the city of Mumbai. The team, led by Anup Kumar and coached by Ravi Shetty, finished as the runners-up in the first edition of the League. Owned by Ronnie Screwvala’s Unilazer Sports and with Indian national team coach Bhaskaran E. acting as advisor, they played with a lot of grit and determination, only to fall short on the last hurdle.
U-Mumba played its home matches at the NSCI – National Sports Complex, Mumbai. The Mumbaikars thronged to the NSCI in numbers to support the team, which eventually made their city proud. They played 16 matches in the league, 14 in the group stage, a semi-final which they won and the final where they tasted defeat at the hands of Jaipur Pink Panthers.
In their very first match in the group stage against the Jaipur Pink Panthers, they emerged victorious with a score of 45-31. Their second match against the Telugu Titans was a draw, but after that they went on a winning spree, beating Patna, Bengal, Pune, and Bengaluru in the process. They lost their next three matches against Bengaluru, Delhi, and Vizag, but did not lose a single match after that to finish second in the group stage winning 8, losing and drawing thrice. They ended with a grand total of 51 points to finish second in the group stage.
They set up a clash with third placed Bengaluru Bulls in the semi-final. After a hard-fought nail-biting match, buoyed by their home crowd, U Mumba emerged victorious, beating Bengaluru 27-23 on 29th August.
They met with the best team in the group stage in the final – the Jaipur Pink Panthers. After a match in which both the teams fought with a lot of passion, U Mumba suffered defeat after losing 35-24 to the team from Rajasthan at the Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai on 31st August.
Anup Kumar, Surender Nada starred for U Mumba
Boasting a star-studded line-up, U Mumba were widely expected to be one of the front-runners in the tournament. Under the stewardship of India’s vice-captain, Anup Kumar, the team bulldozed its way to the semis. Kumar led by example, garnering 155 points, the most in the tournament, en route to winning the MVP award. Shabeer Bapu Sharfudheen (66 points) and Rishank Devadiga (64 points) were the others who contributed to the team’s cause.
Surender Nada, the ever dependable defender, was a rock at the back and emerged as the second best defender of the tournament with a total of 48 points. Mohit Chillar (34 points) and Vishal Mane (22 points) ably supported Nada. The team had some foreign power in the form of Mohammad Rahman of Bangladesh and Masayuki Shimokawa of Japan.
Apart from participating in the PKL, owners of U Mumba – U Sports – have been actively encouraging youngsters eager to make a mark in the sport. They run an event called U Mumba Future Stars, which gives India an opportunity to players in the age group in the age group of 18-22 to come forward and showcase their talent. The selected players have a chance of playing for U Mumba and fulfill their dream.
After a great performance last season, a performance that was both inspiring and a learning experience for the players, the team hopes to go one step further and win the PKL this season. With millions of fans rooting for them and hundreds of fans who come to the stadium to cheer for them and watch them play, U-Mumba will never have any dearth of support. Backed by a fanatic crowd and led by the league's best player, it won't be far-fetched to suggest that U Mumba will get their hands on the trophy they so narrowly missed out last year.