Hyderabad, Dec 5: Iran's kabaddi player Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh has had a spectacular show in the Pro Kabaddi League season 9 and has set the stage on fire with his performances.
The Iranian - who is playing for the three-time champions Patna Pirates - is currently the second-best defender in the tournament with 69 tackle points in 17 matches. Chiyaneh also set the record for the most tackle points in a single game when he racked up 16 points against Dabang Delhi K.C.
The Iranian, who is playing his second season, expressed that his self-confidence has risen in this edition, "I have always trained hard during on and off-season. I focus more on fitness during off-season. But I feel more confident this season. My first Pro Kabaddi League season was very hard for me. But now, I know how all the raiders play."
Chiyaneh is also confident that he will go on to become the best defender ever in the tournament's history and eyes a gold medal for Iran in the next year's Asian Games, "I would definitely like to be a part of the Gold Medal winning team at the Asian Games next year and also become the best defender in vivo PKL history and I am confident that I will achieve this feat."
Iran won the 2018 Asian Games gold medal after defending champions India bowed out of the semi-final in Gold Coast.
When asked about how he stumbled upon the sport of kabaddi, the all-rounder said, "I have been playing kabaddi for eleven years. I used to play football before I started playing kabaddi. One of my friends after playing a Junior Asian Kabaddi Championship came and told me that I should play kabaddi. I didn't know anything about kabaddi that time. My friend told me that I have a good physique for kabaddi and then introduced me to the sport."
Chiyaneh also shared his interests off the mat, "The off-season is a fun time for me, but I ensure I practice every day. I also travel a lot when I am not playing in PKL. I've gone to Turkey & Dubai and I travel within Iran as well. I am also a foodie. Irani food is very delicious. My favourite is Ghormeh Sabzi. I also watch movies and listen to music. My favourite Hindi film is PK because I like Aamir Khan."