69th Senior National Kabaddi Championship: Fans take selfies with us due to Pro Kabaddi League: Naveen Kumar

Charkhi Dadri (Haryana), July 21: The Indian kabaddi stars were back in action to enthral their fans as they took the mat at the 69th Senior National Kabaddi Championship - 2022 (men's) in Charkhi Dadri, Haryana on Thursday.

The competition will be played from 21st July to 24th July.

Naveen Kumar, who emerged as the top raid points scorer for the champions Dabang Delhi K.C. team in the last season of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi, is part of the Services Sports Control Board at the Senior Nationals. His team, put up a clinical performance against Assam, defeating them 55-17 in their Pool B match.

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Speaking about the match, Kumar said, "This was our first match, so we looked to get used to the conditions. We can't take any team loosely and we wanted to create a good impression in the first game. We get a lot of facilities from the Services, so all of us want to give our best for the team."

The kabaddi star also stressed on the fact that he met a lot of fans in the side lines only because of VIVO Pro Kabaddi. "Earlier, kabaddi used to be played only in villages. Everybody only knew Anup Kumar, but now with the game being telecast on television, many players are being recognized. Everywhere we go, fans take selfies with us and our fans are of all ages. It feels really good to have an identity due to VIVO Pro Kabaddi," said Kumar.

Earlier in the day, Mohit Goyat's exceptional performance helped Haryana defeat BSNL 58-5 in their Pool F match. Goyat, who played for Puneri Paltan in the last VIVO Pro Kabaddi season, scored a total of 16 points in the match.

Speaking about his game, Goyat said, "There's no pressure here. I just want my hard work to transpire on the mat. We have set up a training area in my village and I keep practicing there. We keep carrying out our practice sessions in the hope that we perform well and win matches. It's really good to play at home as we get a lot of support here."

Goyat also expressed that his life has changed after playing his first VIVO Pro Kabaddi season in 2021-22. "The VIVO Pro Kabaddi League has been very important for me. I played my first season in 2021-22 and I was happy with my performance. Life has changed a lot for me, lot of people have started recognizing me and this feels really good. I've met some fans here at the Nationals as well," said Goyat.

Source: Media Release