Former kabaddi skipper Pankaj Shirsat, now an Additional Commissioner of Police, sends out a message to Anup Kumar’s Indian side on the eve of World Cup opener versus Korea
Indian skipper Anup Kumar (encircled) along with coaches and teammates pose for pictures after the announcement of the team squad for the Kabaddi World Cup in Mumbai recently. Pic/Satej Shinde
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Former India kabaddi skipper Pankaj Shirsat, who led the country to its second World Cup title in 2007, has warned Indian players to avoid playing an individual game as the Anup Kumar-led team face Korea in the opening match of the 2016 edition in Ahmedabad tomorrow.
"I don't know if we will be able to defend our title convincingly or not, but I am sure if someone is going to play a selfish game then we will definitely be in trouble. We need to play as a team to achieve results," the Jaipur Pink Panthers' assistant coach told mid-day in an exclusive interview.
'Watch out for Iran'
India also won the inaugural 2004 World Cup in Mumbai. Shirsat, who is now Mumbai's Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), believes the Indian team will face strong resistance from Iran, who finished runners-up in 2007. "Anup is our main player, but I think Deepak Hooda could be a match winner for us. Anup's main quality is that he is very humble and shares a good rapport with his teammates," the Arjuna awardee added.
Pankaj Shirsat at his Vakola office. Pic/Shadab Khan
Shirsat also pointed out that the lack of all-round capability among the kabaddi players in Maharashtra could have been one of the reasons why the state didn't see even a single player make it to the Indian squad for the World Cup.
"I felt sorry about it. If we go through the Indian team, we can see that all the selected players are raiders as well as all-rounders. Currently, we don't have a single player in our state who is an all-rounder," he said.
'Need more all-rounders'
Citing his own example, the 36-year-old Shirsat said, "When I was playing I used to be a raider and take up responsibilities in defence also, that's why I sealed a place in the Indian team."
Quizzed on the difference between the 2007 and 2016 World Cup team, he explained: "There was no such craze or glamour when kabaddi tournaments were going on. People came to know about our achievements after we won the World Cup. However, here people are already discussing about, not only the Indian players, but about other teams also, and India's chances in the tournament. So, it's a welcome sign."
Due to a leg injury, Shirsat had to give up the sport and was enrolled into the Mumbai Police through the sports quota. He now heads traffic operations in the city's Western region. "It's really tough because we are working for almost 12 hours a day. During 'bandobast' we have to work for the whole day," Shirsat remarked.
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