The Pro Kabaddi League will soon stage its fifth edition which shall commence from the 28th of July and go on until a good ninety days with the finale being scheduled for the 28th of October. This instalment of the domestic league is going to be much bigger than the previous ones, with four new teams entering the fold in the likes of Tamil Thalaivas, UP Yoddhas, Haryana Steelers and Fortune Giants Gujarat.
Trending
Thus, one shall witness over 130 plus matches of kabaddi wherein 12 teams from 11 Indian states will lock horns against each other in order to claim the coveted crown. The league will feature more the 230 players taking to the mat, battling it out in the attack and defence in order to help their team cross the finish line.
But, what is the source of motivation for these players who are all great sportsmen in their own right? Whom do they follow or look up to in order to draw a certain kind of inspiration? Well, Sportskeeda thus looks at five such kabaddi players who are die-hard fans of other sports stars either from our own nation or on the global platform!
#1: Vishal Mane (Patna Pirates)
The mighty defender is akin to a wall in the defence for every team that he has represented so far in the Pro Kabaddi League right from U Mumba, Bengal Warriors and from this season onwards the Patna Pirates. Well, the lad who originally hails from the City of Dreams, Mumbai owes his allegiance to his native IPL team, Mumbai Indians. And one could then easily make a guess about his favourite player, it is none other than the skipper of the side, Rohit Sharma.
Vishal Mane admires the Indian opener, not only for his batting skills and record per se but also his leadership qualities on the field! Aggressive that Vishal himself is, ask him to name his other favourite cricketer and it is none other than the very aggressive power-hitter Yuvraj Singh!
#2: Rishank Devadiga (UP Yoddhas)
The young gun who is a rampant raider when on the kabaddi mat, prefers wearing a jersey with the number 7 at the back of it. The reason behind the same is the fact that he is a die-hard fan of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo. His love for the star transcends across teams, for he follows Ronaldo since his association with Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.
With time, Ronaldo moved on to Real Madrid and dragged across a good number of his fans to support him and his Spanish team, one of them was Rishank Devadiga. The former U Mumba recruit particularly loves Ronaldo’s celebration after scoring a goal and aims to duplicate the same after scoring an important raid point on the kabaddi mat some day!
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: 5 UP Yoddhas to watch out for
#3: Rohit Rana (Telugu Titans)
The defensive stalwart before switching his concentration to kabaddi full-time was an avid footballer as well. Not only did he play the game, but also represented a club back home in Himachal and played the game at the district level.
Given his own skills in the sport, Rohit Rana is a keen follower of the left-footed great Lionel Messi. Thus, his loyalty for the player also expands to the team, and as a result not only does he support Barcelona but also guns for Argentina at the international level.
#4: Nilesh Shinde (Dabang Delhi)
He may be a veteran of the sport when it comes to kabaddi, but talk about his leisure time and Nilesh Shinde is like an enthusiastic young teenager when it comes to football! A regular viewer of European football, Nilesh’s is an ardent supporter of Real Madrid and thus their talismanic striker Cristiano Ronaldo much like Rishank Devadiga.
The rampant goal-scorer and his supreme fitness probably serve as points of inspiration for the Dabang Delhi defender who loves watching him play on the field on any given day.
Also read: Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Kabaddi comic book becoming quite the rage in Japan
#5: Nitin Madane (U Mumba)
The Maharashtra boy is blessed with talent and skills which render him as a big-match player with the ability to pull his team out of trouble single-handedly. So whom does he look up to for motivation?
It is none other Indian cricket’s best finisher, yet another big match player, Mahendra Singh Dhoni! Such is Nitin’s fascination for the Mahi, that he showcases his loyalty for the wicket-keeper batsman on the kabaddi mat by wearing the number 7 on the back of his shirt!
