Star Sports Pro Kabaddi: Top 5 foreign players from season 1

Though the home-grown sporting extravaganza – Star Sports Pro Kabaddi – heralded a spell of promise for the native players, there were certain foreign players who became household names too. The preliminary season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi had players from all over the world setting the stadium alight.The top-rated players from across the globe made a noticeable foray into the game. These players from all parts of the globe added to the spirit of camaraderie and also created a diverse result to the otherwise homogenous crowd. Celebrated athletes from Turkmenistan, Iran and other nations like England, Kenya, Japan, Sri Lanka, South Korea and others stepped into the Indian terrain and showed the crowd that kabaddi is not just India’s domain.Here is a list of the best foreign players who made their presence felt in the first season of the league:

#5 Masayuki Shimokawa - Japan

26-year-old Masayuki Shimokawa from Japan helped U Mumba reach the finals of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi. The raider, who looks up to Bengaluru Bulls’ Ajay Thakur as his hero, has bagged multiple medals in international and national events.

Despite hailing from a modest family and making paltry cash with sea food business, he has risen to become an important member of the Japanese national team. Shimokawa’s presence in Star Sports Pro Kabaddi helped the league get a foreign audience as hordes of people from Japan tuned in to watch their darling in action.