‘PKL’s New Format Good for Players’: Thalaivas Captain Ajay Thakur

Thakur said 2018 was a disappointing year for the Indian kabaddi team, but also good for the game.

Tamil Thalaivas captain Ajay Thakur speaks to The Quint ahead of PKL 2019.

(Photo: The Quint)

If you’ve had enough of cricket, there’s good news for you because there’s another super exciting sport coming up that you can tune into for the next three months. Yep, the Pro Kabaddi League is back!

The seventh edition of the tournament is set to begin in Hyderabad on 20 July, and this season is different from the others. Until last year, teams were divided into two zones, of which the top ones would make the playoffs.

The league will now be played in a double round robin format, where each team will play all other sides twice, and the top six will go to the playoffs.

All teams will get four days rest before and after their home legs, giving them adequate rest. This change will be beneficial for the players, feels Team Indian captain – but for the next three months, Tamil Thalaivas captain – Ajay Thakur.

“Every team is getting a chance to play with all other teams. No player or team can now complain about not making the playoffs because they were in a different zone. That’s not the case anymore. Everyone has an equal chance to prove themselves.”

Ajay Thakur, Tamil Thalaivas Captain

Thakur, however, is coming into the new season with a big task at hand – to end his team’s ‘last-place finish’ streak. Thalaivas ended PKL 6 at the bottom of the standing for a second time in a row, making them the only team among the PKL debutants not to have made the playoffs even once.

“It was (very disappointing). On paper, our team was very good. But, we couldn’t play like that. We also had a lot of injuries in our team. Our main defender got injured. Kabaddi is physically a demanding sport and since it’s a contact game, these bumps happen,” said Thakur.

And that wasn’t the only disappointment for Thakur that year. Seven-time champions India, led by Thakur, also failed to make the finals of the 2018 Asian Games, after being handed a shock defeat to Iran in the semi-final. This, the skipper says, continues to be one of the darkest days of his life.

“The game of kabaddi… you have to see its standard today. Players from different countries are coming to play kabaddi in India. They are hiring good coaches to develop their skills. There are the Iranians, who in front of my eyes have picked up the sport and developed their skills. They are understanding the game... you cannot easily win a medal now,” Thakur said.

“The standard of the game has gone up. Every player comes for these tournaments with a lot of preparation. According to me, this is good for the game. If one country dominates a sport then that game will not develop. Of course, I was sad about the Asian Games but it was very good for our game,” he added.

Asked why the fans should root for Tamil Thalaivas this season? ‘Well, because I am there’, quips Thakur.

“Support my team because the sport of kabaddi originated from Tamil Nadu. And the biggest thing is… there are so many players in my team... I am there!”