U Mumba physiotherapist hails Shabeer Bapu's mental strength

U Mumba’s Shabeer Bapu (R) with captain Anup Kumar during a match

Swapnil Mate is hard pressed for time. He needs to ensure his players are in peak condition, prior to and throughout the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League. Swapnil is U Mumba’s official team physiotherapist. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, he talks about working closely with Shabeer Bapu and offers insights on the raiders amazing form this season.

“Kabaddi is a contact sport. There is a lot of contact injury not only during games, but also when we practice. The sport is played on a mat turf. So there is no ground reaction force happening. Majority of the players deal with joint problems, ankle problems, ligament trouble and muscle pulls,” he shared his valuable advice.

According to him Shabeer Bapu is one of the best raiders in the tournament. But not many know that U Mumba’s star raider was carrying a forearm fracture injury. Swapnil played a vital role in ensuring that Shabeer maintains his form despite the Keralite not being 100% fit.

Swapnil shared this astonishing fact, “We had three months to complete Shabeer’s rehabilitation. He is only 70% physically fit, yet is always one of the best players for our team.”

He attributes those good performances to the raider’s mental strength. “Mentally, Shabeer is 100% fit. The mental aspect plays a very important role. Every single opponent knows that, although he may not be fully fit, he will continue to play at a very high level,” he revealed.

This is testament to the players’ immaculate skill and technique.

Shabeer’s game has been altered

“We also carried out a mental conditioning program with the players. We tweaked the way Shabeer lands during every raid. Being a left hander, he has a tendency to put his entire weights body on one side. So we created a custom made brace to protect his hand from all angles. This brace wasn’t available in the market,” he shared Shabeer’s special training.

One only has to look at Shabeer’s videos to notice the change in his game play. The coaching staff has modified the way he lands on the ground. Previously, he used to land on his wrist which resulted in enormous pressure on his body. Over time he has perfected the roll over where he lands on his shoulders. According to Swapnil, Shabeer is an extremely quick learner.

He expressed, “The main point is that Shabeer grasped the ‘roll over’ technique very quickly and effectively. This helps him stay away from his fractured side. It also helps him win quick points during the raids. He has worked on his core a lot. If you’re core is strong, you can roll your body any way with relative ease.”

So the next time you see Shabeer making another successful raid, you know the man largely responsible for it is Swapnil Mate and his team