Exclusive: I keep fighting despite injuries, says Naveen Kumar

The star raider also gave an account of his early days in the sport and much more.

Naveen Kumar was one of the best performers in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8. He was crucial in helping Dabang Delhi lift the trophy for the first time. The star raider gave an exclusive interview to Khel Now and spoke at length about many things close to his heart. He also narrated his mental approach after getting the knee injury during the season and how it was affecting his performance. 

The raider was brilliant across the season and was one of the most consistent performers. His raiding abilities won a lot of hearts amongst the fans. During the exclusive conversation, the raider mentioned that the Pro Kabaddi League has improved the condition of kabaddi players, among other things.

“Winning the league and playing with experienced players is a great feeling. It feels good to get their guidance. Since Pro Kabaddi League has arrived, the players have earned a lot of fame. We are practicing in air-conditioned surroundings, travelling in planes and staying in air-conditioned hotel rooms,” remarked an elated Naveen Kumar.

The seriousness of injury

Dabang Delhi were dealt a huge blow when they lost the services of Naveen Kumar due to a knee injury last season. The setback was also tough to take personally for the player. He stated, “My injury was more serious than a normal knock. A regular injury heals in a short time within a few days, but a more serious one takes time to heal. It depends on us when we feel ready to compete, but still there is always a sense of fear regarding future matches.”

“Despite some level of pain, we keep fighting for the team and if it feels too painful, then it’s better to sit out. It all depends on the situation. I played well after recovering from injury in a few games, but then the pain came again, since the kabaddi floor is demanding on the body,” he further added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoQ6tv-OpBw

The 21-year-old also spoke on the aspect of the unpredictable nature of injuries in kabaddi. He said, “You cannot predict an injury. It depends on our movements and the nature of tackles of the opposition players. Any error in such a situation can cause an injury to the player. One has to be fit and avoid any tackle that can be harmful.”

More focused on sports than studies

Talking about his childhood days, Naveen Kumar mentioned that his interest was more towards sports and that he got the support of his family in this regard. “I hail from Bhiwani in Haryana. I was not really interested in studies and thankfully got selected into a scheme. My family members let me make the choice of either studying or putting all my efforts into sports, stated Naveen Kumar.

"I chose sports and started learning a lot from players who were more experienced than me. We won a lot of tournaments in our local town and we played in school nationals. I played my first U-17 school nationals in 2014 and from there it was decided that I had to become successful.”

Took tips from many players

Growing up, Naveen Kumar used to follow all the top stars of Indian kabaddi. He developed his game on their traits. He recollected, “We heard the names of Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chillar, Ajay Thakur and Rakesh as India’s stars. We used to watch their matches on the internet. Ajay Thakur for example, I used to follow him a lot. His footwork and skill were good to watch. Anup Kumar had a good skill to get bonus points, so I used that too. So, in the end, I picked each player’s skill and mixed it up to make my own game.”

While talking about his strengths, Naveen Kumar talked about his fitness as a major plus point. “Until I got the injury, I had good speed. I could get bonus points, do running hand touches and so on. I can do anything if I am fit. So, it depends on the situation that decides on which trick I use to get points,” he concluded.

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