Star raider Anup Kumar will lead the 14-member Indian squad in the upcoming 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, starting from October 7 in Ahmedabad. The 12 countries which will take part in the tournament are Iran, South Korea, Bangladesh, USA, England, Australia, Poland, Thailand, Japan, Argentina, Kenya and hosts India.
This is India's Dream Team because in every playing position India has an immensely talented player. All-rounder Manjeet Chhillar, who has been named the vice-captain of the Indian outfit, is a giant of the sport and perhaps the world's best defender. Anup Kumar is unparalleled whether as a raider or as a captain with an uncanny knack of assessing match situations and turning it in the team's favour.
On the other hand, there are dynamic young players like Rahul Chaudhari and Pardeep Narwal who can single-handedly win matches with their performances. This has been proven time and again in Pro Kabaddi League. With this strong squad, it will be a great chance for the Indian team to put up a stellar show during the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup.
Anup Kumar said,"I am extremely honoured to lead the country for the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. It's every sportsperson's dream to represent their country at a global stage. I'm proud of my team and we will all work towards bringing honour to India."
Commenting on the tournament, Janardhan Singh Gehlot, president International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) said,"The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup marks a pioneering moment in the history of Kabaddi. World class teams will play in a world class arena and will be seen across the world by fans through world class television coverage. We are committed to nurturing the sport across the globe. We are delighted and proud to host teams from all 5 Olympic geographies."
Talking about India Dream Team, Dr. Mridul Bhadauria, president, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) said, "The team that we have today represents the best players from India in the world of Kabaddi. It is truly an India Dream Team."
Balwan Singh, National Coach, said, "The training camp hosted in Ahmedabad involved rigorous training that helped us select the right set of players for the Indian squad. Our aim is to have a balanced team composition for the upcoming World Cup. We are expecting the tournament to be more competitive than previous years. It will be the biggest challenge that the Indian team has faced in recent times."
The Indian squad: Anup Kumar (captain, Raider), Ajay Thakur (Raider) Deepak Hooda (Raider) Dharmaraj Cheralathan (Defender), Jasvir Singh (Raider), Kiran Parmar (Defender), Manjeet Chillar (vice-captain, Raider), Mohit Chillar (Defender), Nitin Tomar (Defender), Pardeep Narwal (Raider), Rahul Chaudhari (Raider), Sandeep Narwal (All-Rounder), Surender Nada (Defender).
