Puneri Paltan raider Ajay Thakur has been a kabaddi star for a long time, much before the phenomenon called Star Sports Pro Kabaddi (PKL) took the nation by storm. The man from Himachal Pradesh ranks amongst the most experienced and respected players in Indian kabaddi.
His exploits in the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup helped India claim the coveted prize. Ajay was the No. 1 raider in the World Cup, and his performance in the finals single-handedly won India the game.
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Here are 10 things that you should need to know about Ajay “Frog Jump” Thakur.
#1 Ajay Thakur belongs to Dabhota, a village located in Himachal Pradesh’s Nalagarh district, where his family lives. Sport is in Ajay’s blood as his father used to be a wrestler before joining the police force. His mother, on the other hand, is a teacher.
#2 Shockingly, at the tender age of 10, Ajay ran away from his house to play a kabaddi tournament, which was being held close to his village. That was truly a big bang to start his Kabaddi journey.
#3 Ajay was inspired by his cousin Rakesh, who represented India in kabaddi, and decided to follow the latter’s footsteps. He eventually got selected for the 2007 Asian Indoor Games, where he helped India win a gold medal, thereby starting his career on a bright note.
#4 The first time he was selected in the Indian camp, the lanky youngster was mocked by the others for his weight. With a little help from the seniors, he gained a massive 12 kg in just 15 days.
“I was stick thin when I joined the Indian camp. Joginder Narwal, Rakesh Kumar and the others worked on my fitness and fed me continuously which helped me gain 12 kilograms in 15 days,” Ajay recalled.
#5 He is regarded as one of the best raiders India has ever produced, and played a key role in India’s Asian Games gold medal win in 2014.
#6 Ajay Thakur was signed up by the Bengaluru Bulls in the first season of PKL and he played for them in the first two seasons before moving to Puneri Paltan. He has played 58 matches in the Pro Kabaddi, scoring 316 raid points and 11 defence points.
#7 Though he is famous for his “Frog Jump,” Ajay Thakur, interestingly, did not know the name of this signature move until hearing about it on TV. He has been performing the frog jump since quite early in his career.
#8 Ajay is currently employed with Air India as a Customer Service Supervisor and was also in the Indian Navy for a brief time before leaving. He wanted to join the army, and respects people from defence forces a lot.
#9 Ajay Thakur is a big animal lover and has two dogs at home – Peter and Badal – with whom he spends a lot of time when not out on a kabaddi tour. He is single and loves staying in his village.
#10 Apart from kabaddi, the 30-year-old loves to watch wrestling and boxing. He is a big fan of Indian boxing star Vijender Singh and admires the way the Olympic bronze medalist fights.
