From Rural Roots to PKL Dreams: The inspiring journey of M. Sudhakar; Patna Pirates' new NYP pick

The youngster is set to play in the upcoming season of the tournament.

Tamil Nadu has produced several kabaddi legends in the past including Rajarathinam, Kasinatha Baskaran, Dharamraj Cheralathan, and Jeeva Kumar and the list moves on. The past few years has not seen the state dominate due to various reasons but the passion for kabaddi remains the same among the youngsters. One young athlete who has been on the radar for the past few months is 21-year-old M. Sudhakar from Tiruchirappalli district who has joined three-time champions Patna Pirates for the 10th edition of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), a source close to Khel Now confirmed.

Sudhakar representing Palani Tuskers in the Yuva Kabaddi series (winter edition 2022) rose to the occasion by finishing as the top scorer in the competition by scoring 328 points.

The youngster is happy to be part of the PKL which has been a dream come true moment. Sudhakar on his selection quipped, “I have been a huge fan of Pro Kabaddi League since its inception and by God’s grace, I have been selected to play in the league this year.”

Early Days

Sudhakar hails from a small village Palayanallur in Tiruchirappalli district which is famous for kabaddi. Several youngsters play the sport on day to day basis and Sudhakar is one such player who went a step further to play for the junior state side, Yuva Kabaddi series, and now the Pro Kabaddi League.

Four of Sudhakar’s elder brothers including his father have played kabaddi. “Everyone in my family including my father and four elder brothers have played Kabaddi. Looking at my brother’s play, I too slowly started playing and developed an interest. One of my four brothers played for the university team and also went on to secure a job in the police department through kabaddi.

“I fell in love with kabaddi since my childhood and from grade 8 started playing the sport. Within a few years, I got an opportunity to play for the Tiruchirappalli district. In the inter-district championships, we finished quarter-finalists and I subsequently got selected for the junior state side. At the start, I used to get injured frequently and my father being a kabaddi player knows how often a player gets injured. My mother once cried seeing me get injured during a local match. Due to injuries at times, my parents hesitated to allow me from taking part in local tournaments but my brothers started to accompany me wherever I go, which was a huge boost to them.

The journey wasn’t easy for Sudhakar post-schooling as he had to discontinue from a college he had enrolled in and join a new one that supported sports.

“After my schooling, I started my undergraduate but had to leave the college since I didn’t receive the desired support. My coach Shanmugham sir helped me switch to a new college which gave good importance to sports. The new college selected me in their university kabaddi team straightaway and soon we won the inter-college and zonal tournaments.

Joining Palani Tuskers

The winter edition of the Yuva Kabaddi series was held in Puducherry, India.

“During an inter-college match, there were selection trials going on in Samiappan’s academy for the Yuva Kabaddi series. Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend the trials, but the coach showed faith and selected me for Palani Tuskers. Samiappan was the coach of the TN junior side when I was previously with the camp and he knew my gameplay so without any hesitation he selected me to his side at the Yuva Kabaddi Series.

“The first five to six matches were pretty tough and I was nervous. But as the season went by, I got comfortable and started playing to my strengths. The credit should be given to the crowd as they kept cheering whenever I raid, which helped motivate me. The end wasn’t good as we lost in the final, however, the team bounced back in the previous edition (summer) to clinch the title.

Matches in local tournaments are generally played on mud or clay surfaces and switching over to mat was pretty tough for Sudhakar. “Playing in the mud is easy and I wasn’t much aware of playing on the mat. A few of my friends already had the experience of playing on the mat and they helped me in training by executing a few moves and tricks. Initially, I used to slip a lot but gradually got adjusted to the conditions.”

Securing a job in ICF

After the exploits in the Yuva Kabaddi Series, Sudhakar secured a job in ICF (Integral Coach Factory) in Chennai. The ICF currently has a few reputed names – Abhinesh Nadarajan, Sajin Chandrasekhar, D.Gopu, and Suresh Kumar; all of whom are former or current PKL players.

“I secured a job in an Integral Coach factory recently and felt overwhelmed. Securing a job has helped me financially as well as I can now solely concentrate on the sport and give my best. Also, a player at the most can play to his best for five to ten years after which we require financial stability so securing a job helped me stay secure. Through kabaddi, I have a job in hand and also in the coming days will be playing in the PKL which is a dream come true moment.

“In the few matches, we have played so far, all the senior players and the coaches have told me to play my natural game and not worry much about the outcome. Abhinesh in particular advised me to stay disciplined and to solely focus on the game.”

The left raider is widely known for his quick jump, escaping the defenders with ease and at times bringing in the dubki.

“I have been practicing both jump and dubki since my junior days. I try to execute these skills everyday even when I don’t do training. I keep a tire in front and try to sneak in through the hole which has largely helped me execute dubki. I like Pardeep Narwal with the game he possesses and when it comes to Tamil Nadu, I have followed Ajith Kumar and quite like the style in which he operates; the deft touch is one such skill I like a lot”

“The youngsters back home are very happy about my growth and they have started showing more interest in kabaddi now. Whenever I get free time, I make sure to teach them whatever I have learned and help them excel.”

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