The Indian kabaddi team might be favourites to win the upcoming 2016 World Cup, which is set to begin in Ahmedabad on October 7th, but the players are not taking things lightly and are raring to go. In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, star all-rounder and Jaipur Pink Panthers skipper Jasvir Singh expressed how the Indian team has no sense of complacency.
India open their 2016 Kabaddi World Cup campaign with a tricky fixture against South Korea, a team that features several Pro Kabaddi League players including Bengal Warriors star Jang Kun Lee. South Korea could be a tough and unpredictable opponent but Jasvir believes that the Indian team, in no way, will let its guard down, irrespective of the opponent at hand.
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“We have been training hard in the past month and are quite positive about our chances at the World Cup. India is the favourite to win the title and the team knows that really well. The opponents are going to come at us really hard but we are ready. Kabaddi World Cup 2016 is our trophy and we will not let anyone else win it,” Jasvir said with a great deal of confidence in his tone.
Jasvir Singh had a good Pro Kabaddi Season 4 with the Jaipur Pink Panthers as he led his team to the final, which they lost to Patna Pirates. Though he missed a few games, Jasvir managed to score 82 raid points and ended up on 5th position on the leaderboard. Due to the presence of players like Rajesh Narwal, Amit Hooda and Ran Singh, Jasvir stayed away from defensive responsibilities but the case will be different in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.
“I will be playing in World Cup as an all-rounder and am quite prepared to do so as well. Things were quite different in Pro Kabaddi League and with Rajesh, Amit and Shabeer (Bapu) already there, I did not need to make tackles. However, it will be different at the World Cup and I will be contributing in defence as well,” he added.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers captain spoke quite highly about his captain Anup Kumar and coach Balwan Singh, under whom he has been playing in Pro Kabaddi League as well. “I have tremendous faith in the captain. Anup is an excellent leader and we have great unity in the team. Balwan sir, on the other hand, is a great coach and I have known him for a long time. His tactical abilities and expertise will be critical in the World Cup,” Jasvir said.
Despite the selection of a terrific team, several top performers of the Pro Kabaddi League were not able to make it, including Jasvir Singh’s Jaipur Pink Panthers teammate Amit Hooda. Jasvir, however, believes that the team chosen is ideal and everyone deserves a place. “Amit Hooda did miss out on a spot in the team but the players we have are all top class, be it in attack or defence,” Jasvir explained.
“Mohit Chillar is a top class defender and I believe his qualities will shine through in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup,” he added. Mohit Chillar is one part of a solid Indian defence that includes the likes of Dharmaraj Cheralathan, Manjeet Chhillar and Sandeep Narwal. India play their first match of the World Cup against South Korea on 7th October.
