"Fazel 'Anna' is a God-given gift to me" - Pro Kabaddi raiding star V Ajith Kumar

On January 11th, 2022, U Mumba conceded a harrowing 20-point loss to the Patna Pirates, a relatively large margin in Pro Kabaddi terms. Addressing the post-match conference, skipper Fazel Atrachali narrowed the loss down to V Ajith Kumar's absence on the mat, who until that game had made a massive impact on the team's success.

"Tonight, we really missed Ajith Kumar" were the words the 'Sultan' of PKL opted to use, further highlighting how big a role the Tamil Nadu-based youngster has had in the U Mumba setup.

Only days earlier, Ajith was on the receiving end of a blow to his lower back during an encounter against the Telugu Titans, an injury that ruled him out of the game against Patna.

Two matches later, Ajith was back on the mat and his presence fuelled a sense of freedom in lead raider Abhishek Singh's raiding, as U Mumba evaded a hat-trick losses and played out a tie against the Bengal Warriors.

Ajith Kumar is probably not in the league like that of Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar and Maninder Singh, to name a few, but his selfless raiding has caught the attention of Pro Kabaddi League aficionados.

Gifted with raw pace on the mat and quick thinking abilities, Ajith's left some of the league's best defenders puzzled with his raiding antics. Although his PKL 8 numbers don't paint a pretty picture, in terms of the larger goal of fuelling U Mumba's wins, the talented raider has left more than just a mark on the league.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Ajith shed light on Fazel influence as captain, what it means to represent U Mumba, battling through a mentally draining lockdown period and more.

Q. For a youngster like yourself who has played only 2 seasons of PKL, what does it mean to play under Fazel Atrachali as captain?

As a team at U Mumba, we are very well taken care of. I don't speak Hindi or English well, but he (Fazel) does a lot to make sure I understand what he is saying. Even though I can't reply back in English to him, he doesn't treat me as an outsider or someone who can't speak to him. He treats me like his own younger brother.

He has a lot of experience in Pro Kabaddi, and he puts in the effort to correct even the smallest of our mistakes. You can see before every raid, he guides me. Because I am still learning, he clears any doubt I have like how a coach explains. Fazel Anna (Big brother) is a god given gift to me on the mat.

Q. You did mention a coach mentality, how much has U Mumba's coach Rajaguru Subramaniam helped you so far in PKL 8?

For me, he is 'Anna', not just a coach. I haven't called him 'coach' so far, I call him only 'Anna' and he doesn't have a problem with that, that's how big a person he is from heart. You will see even during the timeouts, he comes and speaks to me in Tamil, and even there he always explains everything perfectly so that I don't have any problems while raiding.

After every match, I spend some time with him to understand my mistakes. When we are on the mat, because of the pressure we sometimes make moves that we could have avoided, he explains everything to me so that I can correct them in the next game.

Q. A lot of people aren't aware that your Pro Kabaddi journey started with the Tamil Thalaivas in PKL 7. Do you recall celebrating your first PKL contract back then?

I clearly do, but I didn't celebrate it much. I got that contract after three years of hard work. I went to the New Young Players (NYP) camp in 2017 and 2018, but even after that I wasn't picked by any of the franchises. I had followed the PKL from a young age and I wanted to play, but I wasn't getting a chance.

In January 2019, I played in the Khelo India games, where Tamil Nadu came second, and luckily the match was on TV. The same year, I didn't get picked on the first day of the Pro Kabaddi auction. My whole family was disappointed, and I was very sad myself.

On the second day, towards around 4-5 PM, one of my friends called me up and said I was picked up by the Tamil Thalaivas, I couldn't believe it. He sent me a screenshot on Whatsapp, and only when I went onto Instagram and saw for myself did I believe it. Everyone was very happy, I clearly remember that day.

Q. So you must have celebrated when U Mumba picked you up for ₹25 lakh at the PKL 8 auction?

Not really, that was a surprise for me, honestly. I was alone in college, that was a time when I was wondering if I would even get picked on base price, because I was not retained by the Thalaivas. I was distraught that I hadn't been retained, and the reasons given for that were even more disappointing, that I was very injury prone. So when U Mumba signed me at the PKL 8 auction, I was very thrilled but I had only one thing in mind - to silence my critics with my performances on the mat.

Q. Given Pro Kabaddi's demands, especially in terms of raiding capacity, how do you find motivation and inspiration to succeed?

To be very honest, there is no inspiration as such. Whatever I learn and do in the practice sessions, I implement that on the mat in matches. I've been taught one thing from a young age - do what you can to win matches for your team. Injuries will also come and go, Kabaddi is nothing without injuries.

Even if I pick up an injury, my focus is to recover quickly enough to help my team win every game. You can't be scared on the mat while playing kabaddi. If you are scared, there's no way you can succeed.

Q. Within just two seasons, a lot of fans have compared you to the likes of Pawan, Naveen among others. How does it feel to be a part of that elite group of raiders?

I personally feel I am nowhere close to their level. I am happy that I am getting a lot of love from the fans and they like to see me play, but I have a lot more to achieve. I know I have a lot more to do, I have to put in the hard yards and learn a lot to get to their level.

Check out the Pro Kabaddi winners list here.

Q. For a youngster who is only playing his second season, what are some personal targets you are looking to achieve in Pro Kabaddi 2022?

I don't have any personal goals at all. In my mind, like I said, I wasn't even sure of getting a chance to play this season. Rajaguru Anna and U Mumba have invested their faith in me, and I want to repay it. So for this season, I want to do the best I can and help the team win. If the team hadn't given me a chance, I wouldn't have been here.

A lot of people told me to my face that I won't get a chance. I didn't play too well in the Senior Nationals either, I was feeling very low in the lockdown period, I've never felt like that before. I was almost 100% sure I wouldn't get a chance. I wasn't confident of earning a contract from the auction, but U Mumba have given me this chance. I have no interest in personal goals or records, I want to lead the Pro Kabaddi team to a title.

Q. Finally, what was life like for you before Pro Kabaddi when compared to now?

In those two years after PKL 7, I learnt a lot. I got a lot of love and praise for my performances, but when I was not retained, I didn't get a lot of support. But I somehow got through it, and I am the same man I was before the PKL. Everyone is happy at home, and that's what matters.

I took up the sport wanting to be like my older brother (Sharath Kumar) who was always appreciated for playing well. We are four brothers, the first two had to get married and settle down. I am the youngest among the four of us, and I have this chance to do something I love, which is to play kabaddi.

Even now, every morning after a match I speak to my brothers, they pull my leg and say I made a lot of mistakes. Outside, they always tell others how well I play, but when we speak, it's about my mistakes but in the end it's the bond that we share and they always mean well for me. My parents are also extremely happy, and I'm thankful for this chance.