Until about two years back, Michal Spiczko had never heard of kabaddi, let alone play it. But on Saturday, the defender from Poland completed a remarkable 5,600-km journey from his native city of Bialystok to Mumbai to be part of the Bengaluru Bulls' squad in the second edition of the Pro Kabaddi League, which started on Saturday at Worli's National Sports Club of India.


Bengaluru Bulls' Michal Spiczko during their Pro Kabaddi League opener against Bengal Warriors on Saturday at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in NSCI, Worli. Pic/Atul Kamble 

It was a journey which began two years ago when Ashok Das, General Secretary of England Kabaddi Association, visited Poland and did a kabaddi demonstration. That was Michal's first exposure to the sport, who until then had been an American football player.