India targets kabaddi double, says Thakur

“We can’t be over-confident, but we have set our sights on winning the Kabaddi Masters and the Asian Games. Both the tournaments are very important and each and every game is integral,” said Thakur.  

“Our fans follow us very closely and they expect a lot from us, so we can’t let them down. Winning here is important as it will boost our confidence ahead of our next tournament (Asian Games),” added Thakur, who took over after Anup Kumar’s retirement from international kabaddi.  

The Himachal Pradesh raider will lead an attack which boasts of superstars in Pardeep Narwal, Deepak Niwas Hooda, Surender Nada and Surjeet Singh. Monu Goyat, who fetched a massive Rs 1.51 crore during the recently-concluded PKL 6 auction, is also part of the squad. 

The 32-year-old felt the Indian squad members have the right blend of confidence and aggression in them to tackle any challenge that comes their way. “Our squad is very matured and experienced. We have top players from the PKL, who have high sense of confidence and the right amount of aggression. They are capable of handling any given situation,” remarked the 2016 World Cup winner. 

Thakur, who is also the skipper of PKL franchise Tamil Thalaivas, felt the PKL had served as a catalyst in expanding the popularity of the sport in the country. “Previously, we used to play only in villages or India-level tournaments, where only 20 teams would participate but now we have around 200 teams showing up for the same event. That’s the kind of interest PKL has created.”  

Meanwhile, newly-appointed national coach Srinivas Reddy commented that his team is positive about winning both the KMD and the Asian Games gold. “KMD will serve as a perfect preparation for the Games. The team is fit and confident of clinching the title in KMD as well as the Asian Games.” 

Reddy also stressed that he would not give special attention to the big names in the squad. “I will not treat anyone like a superstar even if he is one and I abide by it,” added Reddy.