"We lost in the last seven seconds" - Telugu Yoddhas' Arun Gunki recounts UKK Season 1 final, wants to leave no stone unturned in Season 2

Arun Gunki is one of the names that rose to fame in Season 1 of Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK), where he was seen in the Telugu Yoddhas outfit. Being one of the best attackers in the game, Arun Gunki's use of the Pole Dive skill has been simply sensational this season.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Arun Gunki opened up on his journey from a financially poor background to fame at UKK, along with his thoughts on the Yoddhas' current campaign.

Here are the excerpts:

Q: How did you get into the sport of Kho Kho? How has your journey been from there to Ultimate Kho Kho?

Arun Gunki: I started my kho kho journey in school. We used to play kho kho in the PE period in school. There was a district-level tournament and I went to try out for it without any hopes. I put in a dive and tagged a player which got me selected.

After my school, I played for my club in Sangli. There was someone who came from Lotus Sports Club to my school to recruit people. I did not know there'd be national and state-level tournaments. I continued practicing and got selected in U-17.

Q: Did you receive support from your family right from the beginning? What were some of the challenges that you faced?

Arun Gunki: It was my 10th grade. My family told me to study and give up sport but my club's coach and my school coach convinced them. We won gold for Maharashtra. My father came to watch the game and from there on, they've started supporting me completely. I went on to captain the Maharashtra team from there on and we won gold there and then, I was here at Ultimate Kho Kho.

Before COVID, there was a stage where it was very difficult for me. I was practising hard but not getting the results. I was not getting selected. There is a lot of competition, especially in Maharashtra.

Getting selected for Maharashtra in senior nationals is as difficult as getting picked for the Indian team. We played well at Jabalpur and I played well in the final against the Railways. From there on, I went to play for the Railways. I played Ultimate Kho Kho last year and my family was pleased.

Q: You've had a difficult childhood. How did you get through the financial difficulties?

Arun Gunki: My father has a business of selling vegetables. Earlier, there was no responsibilities at home and I was allowed to play. After that, me and my brother were given some responsibilities as our ages increased. We accompanied our father to sell vegetables. I used to go in the morning and then practice in the afternoon.

When the pandemic hit, we did not know what will happen to us. My father was not saying anything but others were talking a lot. They used to come and talk to my father about this -- they used to tell him that I am practising all day and not doing any job.

My father then started thinking about that and began asking me questions. My uncle works in wholesale and he used to call me to his shop to help since there was nothing in store in terms of kho kho after the pandemic.

Q: Let's talk about the Telugu Yoddhas. What are your thoughts on the campaign so far and do you think the team can go all the way after the disappointing final-minute loss last season?

Arun Gunki: This year's team is better than last year's. There are more junior players this year and we are gelling together well. We lost in the last seven seconds. We will try to win the trophy. I cannot forget the match. We thought we had won but due to the review, we lost at the very end in the last seven seconds. We have practiced a lot and will ensure that that there is no shortcomings at all.