Pro Kabaddi League: Teenaged critic Aditya Cheralathan at work!

The father-son duo of Haryana Steelers captain Dharmaraj Cheralathan (right) and Aditya at his TN residence

For Dharmaraj Cheralathan, 44 is just a number. The Haryana Steelers captain, who first represented India in 1999 and was part of the country's World Cup-winning team in 2016, played his 100th Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) game against Puneri Paltan in Hyderabad last week.

This veteran defender revealed to mid-day that he has an inspiration and critic in the form of his son Aditya, 16.

Hometown boost

"The energy and support from well wishers in my hometown Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu give me an extra boost. However, my son Aditya is my biggest inspiration and critic. By watching my games at the venue or on television, he always points out my mistakes and provides solutions. I then try and avoid those mistakes in the next game. Aditya's ideas and suggestions work for me on most occasions," Cheralathan told mid-day.

For example, Aditya recently pointed out that his father was in a great hurry to hold an opponent raider and doesn't get the desired result. Instead, he wanted Cheralathan to take some time to gauge how quick or sharp the raider is, and plan the tackle accordingly.

Cheralathan, who led from the front, winning the Nationals for Indian Railways earlier this year, is not entertaining thoughts of retirement.

"I want to continue playing kabaddi for a few years as long as I am enjoying the game. By that time Aditya [who is currently representing age group teams in Tamil Nadu and doing well] will be ready for bigger challenges. I am hoping to play with Aditya in the Pro Kabaddi League in the next two years," he said. Cheralathan also enjoys great support from former India captain Rakesh Kumar, 37, who is the Haryana team's coach now.

"Though Rakesh is younger to me, we played together for Indian Railways for 15 years. Being a former India captain he knows every detail of the sport and that experience played a vital role in the team's and my performance," said Cheralathan, who led India to gold in the 2010 Beach Asian Games.

Dharmaraj's diet

He started playing kabaddi at the age of 13 and credits his fitness regime and strict diet plan for his recent completion of 100 PKL games.

"My fitness and training routine during, before/after tournaments help me to carry on. I also enjoy playing the sport at this age. I do a lot of running, gym work, but never take supplements. I believe in natural diet so I eat fresh/dry fruits and fish. I avoid rice and chicken during tournaments," he revealed.

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