Vivo Pro Kabaddi League: Captain Cool
Express press service
Hyderabad: CE spoke to Fazil Atrachali, an Iranian kabaddi player who currently captains Boneri Baltan and the Iranian national kabaddi team, about how he emerged from the streets of Iran and is now dominating as a favorite in Hyderabad and among all sports fans.
Last week was packed with sporting activities including the Hyderabad Vivo Pro Kabaddi League. After a hectic tournament period, the ninth edition of the Vivo Pro Kabaddi League had six contestants in the playoffs, with Puneri Paltan advancing directly to the semifinals due to their excellent form. Between matches, CE caught up with captain Fazil Atrasali, who was in town to talk about his journey, fan love and Hyderabad. Quote:
Your team is the first team to secure their place in the semi-finals of the Pro Kabaddi League this season. How do you feel
I am very happy for my team, but the semifinals are not so special for me because I have been to the semifinals many times and I want to have the opportunity to be in the finals and fight for the championship and the championship. Get the championship in Pune.
Buneri Baltan is a young team, how do you manage the team? how was your experience
You know it's always difficult to be a leader, especially when you're working with young players on the rise. There's always a lot of pressure. It's easier to lead a young team so that they listen to you, easier. I am very happy because we have a lot of promising young talent at Bonneri Paltan who are doing well this season and that makes my job easier.
They led Iran to a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games and now with PP success. how's the trip
Being a team leader is not always easy. Because being a leader is so hard, you take on more responsibility and put more pressure on yourself.
You are responsible not only for yourself, but for the whole unit, so you need to be calculated and careful. Die Reise zum Kapitän war ännlich, also denke ich, dass es nicht nur um einen Kapitän geht, Kabaddi ist ein Mannschaftsspiel, wenn das Team nicht gut funktioniert, kann ein Kapitän nicht viel Kapitän dass es nicht nur um einen, Ok. In the end, teamwork is the most important thing. I'm very fortunate that every time I managed a team over the years, I had a great team that made me better as a player and captain for Iran and now Boneri Baltan.
They are in Hyderabad for the match. Have you ever visited the city? What do you like?
I used to also go to Hyderabad but I never got a chance to go out because I was always training or playing. But I like the people here, they are very friendly and kind. They always support and help me and I thank all Indians in general for being so kind to me.
Have I always wanted to be a kabaddi player?
I think I was around 11 years old when I started playing kabaddi. Since I can remember, I always wanted to be a kabaddi player. But until then I never thought about playing at national or professional level, I loved the sport so much that I started playing and eventually fell in love with it.
If you weren't a kabaddi player, what would you be?
I don't know what I would have chosen if I hadn't become a kabaddi player, but I always knew that I wanted to be an athlete. Even before Kabaddi, I used to play football or wrestling. Maybe I will become a wrestler or a UFC player, who knows, but yeah, I've always loved contact sports. And if it wasn't a sport at all, I'd want to be a firefighter.
Iran has been on the agenda recently with its protests. What do you think about this topic?
I do not want to comment on the situation in Iran here, but I really hope that my compatriots will be satisfied.
What are your interests besides sports?
Outside of sports, I like to spend time with my family and friends. I like to spend time in the mountains and forests. The thing I like the most is going out with my friends.
What's next for you? What's your next goal?
I have Asian Games medals, World Cup medals, Beach Kabaddi medals and Pro Kabaddi medals. I really want another Pro Kabaddi medal. Also, I want to try my luck at the 2023 Asian Games because if I do, it will be my record-breaking 4th Asian Games. So my two goals right now are: to win the PKL trophy for Boneri Baltan and to be part of the Iranian national team at the Asian Games.
