The Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 will start in Ahmedabad on December 2 with Gujarat Giants facing Tamil Thalaivas in the tournament opener.
New Delhi: Former Indian cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri recalled his childhood days of playing kabaddi in Mumbai and stated fitness does all the talking in the sport – one of the oldest in the country. Left in the lurch at one time, Kabaddi in India got a major boost in 2014 when it got commercialized in the form of Pro Kabaddi League. Since then, nine years have passed and PKL grew into one of the top sporting leagues in the country with the upcoming edition starting next month on December 2.
Ahead of PKL 2023 Season 10, Shastri reminisced about his playing days as well as watching kabaddi in Mumbai. “I used to play kabaddi in my colony. It was a lot of fun to play the game because we used to play in the evening. Everyone from the colony used to come together to play. And a group of 50 people used to watch our games,” said Shastri.
The former Indian all-rounder also stressed on how important fitness plays a role in kabaddi. “A good fitness level is very important for kabaddi. Core strength and lower body are very important,” he added.
Shastri’s one-time national teammate Sanjay Manjrekar also shared his experience of watching night kabaddi in Mumbai. “A very competitive night kabaddi used to take place and a lot of people used to go and watch the games in Mumbai. I also used to go and watch the games along with the huge crowd,” he revealed.
Manjrekar went on to add that he found facing fast bowlers easier than playing kabaddi. “This is a contact sport. I found it easier to wear a helmet and face fast bowling than playing kabaddi. One requires flexibility, strength and smartness for this sport,” he added.