Pro Kabaddi: 5 coaches who have played for PKL teams in the past

The Pro Kabaddi League has been a platform for Kabaddi stars to display their skills and earn notable recognition through their talent. The tournament has unearthed some world-class kabaddi players right from commencement of the league back in 2014.

This lucrative tournament has transitioned kabaddi into a global level, turning to be India's second most watched franchise-based league after the Indian Premier League (IPL). PKL has also produced some prominent coaches who have guided teams to title victories, and have brought the best out of potential players on the mat.

The franchises sign the best veterans for the job to ensure that they will attain positive results by the end of the tournament. It shows how the coaches play a pivotal role for the teams in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Some coaches have also played as players and have then gone on to guide teams in the PKL. Let's take a look at five such notable names.

#5 Gurpreet Singh

Gurpreet Singh may not be remembered as a player in Pro Kabaddi, but he did represent the Bengaluru Bulls and Puneri Paltan in the first few seasons of the league. Gurpreet served as a right corner defender, known for his timely blocks and waist pulls that earned him the nickname of 'The Wall.' He scored 24 tackle points in his debut season for the Bengaluru Bulls.

Gurpreet has also represented the Indian Kabaddi team at the national and international levels, and was also a part of the gold-medal winning side at the 2010 and the 2014 Asian Games. Hailing from Punjab, Gurpreet has represented the Punjab Police Kabaddi team and has also played in the Nationals.

He was drafted in as the assistant coach of the Puneri Paltan in PKL 7. Although the team couldn't make it to the playoffs, Gurpreet had a vital role in uplifting the rock-solid defense of Puneri Paltan, which was their strength in Season 7.

#4 Jagdish Kumble

Jagdish Kumble was a part of the Jaipur Pink Panthers squad that lifted the trophy in the inaugural season of Pro Kabaddi. Although he didn't feature enough for the Pink Panthers as a player, he was drafted into the team owing to his immense experience from the past.

As Services players were not allowed to play in the Pro Kabaddi League in the first two seasons, he featured in a couple of games for the Pink Panthers in the third season. The Kerela-born raider turned coach was a part of the Indian Kabaddi team that won the gold medal in 2002 Asian Games.

Kumble was signed as the head coach for the Bengal Warriors in the fifth and sixth season of the league, and the Warriors managed to qualify for the playoffs in both editions under the guidance of Jagdish Kumble.

He shifted to the Telugu Titans as an assistant coach in season 7, but his team couldn't make it to the playoffs.

#3 Manpreet Singh

Perhaps the most exciting coach to have featured in the Pro Kabaddi League, Manpreet Singh guided the Gujarat Fortune Giants to two straight finals in the fifth and sixth seasons. Manpreet, as a coach, has always believed in nurturing young talents, a key fact that has transformed him into one of the best coaches in the league.

Manpreet Singh played for Patna Pirates in the third season of the PKL and also captained the Pirates to the side's maiden title in 2015 (PKL 3), a side which featured big names such as Pardeep Narwal, Sandeep Narwal, and Rohit Kumar to defeat U Mumba in the final of the third season.

Manpreet didn't have a notable season based on his stats, as he could only score 24 raid points in his only season of PKL. Apart from taking part in the PKL, Manpreet also featured in a few ONGC tournaments in the past.

#2 Rakesh Kumar

Rakesh Kumar's Pro Kabaddi career does not do justice to the caliber he has had over the years of serving Indian Kabaddi. The former Indian skipper was the most expensive player signed in the inaugural season, when he was signed for ₹12.8 lakhs by the Patna Pirates.

Rakesh changed the face of Kabaddi single-handedly as an experienced all-rounder, winning most matches for India on his own. The Arjuna awardee was a vital part of the Indian Kabaddi team that won the Kabaddi World Cup (2004, 2007), and clinched gold medals in the Asian Games (2006, 2010, 2014) and South Asian Games (2006, 2010). He has represented Indian Railways for many years in the Senior National Kabaddi Championships.

Rakesh scored 186 raid points and 74 tackle points while representing the Patna Pirates, U Mumba, and Telugu Titans in different seasons till season 5. He was signed as the head coach of the Haryana Steelers in the seventh season, a season in which he took the team to the playoffs.

#1 Anup Kumar

'Captain Cool' Anup Kumar has had an illustrious career in the sport. He won the Pro Kabaddi title with U Mumba back in Season 2 and led the Indian team to their third Kabaddi World Cup win in 2016. He was conferred with the Arjuna award in 2012 for his immense contribution to the game.

A pivotal player for Indian Kabaddi, Kumar bagged gold medals in the Asian Games (2010, 2014) and the South Asian Games as well. He is believed to be one of the finest ever captains in history, with his composed leadership allowing players to play freely and express themselves.

Anup captained U Mumba from Season 1 to Season 5, before joining Jaipur Pink Panthers in his final season. He scored 527 raid points in 91 matches with 13 Super 10s to his name at the end of his PKL career. Post his retirement from the game, Anup joined the Puneri Paltan as their head coach for PKL 7.

Puneri Paltan didn't make it to the playoffs and yet, his maiden stint as the head coach will always be remembered as the time when the coolest of captains turned into a 'cool coach.'

Edited by Prasen Moudgal