PKL changed our lives: Gujarat Giants’ Guman Singh’s journey

Hailing from the quaint village of Sherpur in Haryana Guman Singh recently joined an elite list when he became one of eight Crorepatis from the PKL Season 11 Player Auction Gumanrsquos journey is a testament to how the PKL which is set to begin their 11th season on October 18 has brought a significant change to the world of kabaddi Roped in by the Gujarat Giants for a whopping INR 197 Crore Guman Singh was among the impressive young raiders in PKL season 10 He scored 163 raid points in 18 matches the highest for his team U MumbaBut what many do not know is that Guman could have excelled in a different sport altogether when he was young ldquoI was fond of cricket but decided to switch to kabaddi after my uncle recognized my ability at a very young age The PKL also started around the same time in 2014 and everyone wanted to be on TVrdquoldquoI started playing to get away from my studies but when I realized the benefits I decided to pursue this sport as my careerrdquo he addedAt just 15 Guman moved away from his family to train at the Narwal Kabaddi and Sports Academy in Rindhana about 150 kilometres from his village ldquoIt was initially hard because I was living away from them But when I started training day and night and I never took a break I felt confident in myselfrdquo he recallsHis hard work began to pay off leading to his big break with the Jaipur Pink Panthers in PKL season 7 back in 2019 And although his time with the Jaipur Pink Panthers was limited Singh valued the experience ldquoI was lucky to get a chance with Jaipur Pink Panthers even before I played nationals I did not get to play much but I learned a lotrdquo he saysAlso ReadIND vs BAN 1st Test See how Rohit Sharma Shubman Gill and onfield umpire reacted to Virat Kohlis dismissalThis experience proved crucial at the Nationals with Chandigarh He was selected by the Patna Pirates in the very next season in 2021 It was his first stint under his current coach Ram Mehar Singh scoring 95 raid points in 19 matchesldquoYou could say that season 8 was my breakout moment with the teamrdquo he shared ldquoCoach Ram Mehar helped me improve my performance and made me a better Kabaddi playerrdquoThe 25yearold was the thirdmost expensive player from the season 11 auction held on August 1516 and alongside Parteek Dahiya and Rakesh will form the core of the Gujarat Giantsrsquo raiding departmentAs he joins the team Guman is optimistic about the future ldquoThere is always going to be pressure When I spoke to Coach Sahab he told me not to take tension He wants me to train with an open mind When the coach is motivating you then you automatically want to give your best for the teamrdquo he explainedHe is also excited about the challenge that lies ahead aiming to achieve great things together ldquoI have played with a few people in my team and I have a lot to learn from them We need to complement each other make the team click and ensure it works throughout the season We have some very good young players and we are excited to take this team to new heightsrdquo he saidWhen asked about the turns his life took since he jumped onto the PKL caravan Guman said ldquoKabaddi has given me everything Everyone knows and recognizes me now and it gets very emotionalrdquo he reveals Thanks to his success in kabaddi Singh was able to build a house for his family and secure a job in the Railways ldquoPro Kabaddi League and Mashal Sports has changed our lives Nobody knew us before but now everything that we have is because of the leaguerdquoFor all updates on the Pro Kabaddi league log on to wwwprokabaddicom download the Official Pro Kabaddi app or follow prokabaddi on Instagram YouTube Facebook and XThe Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on Disney Hotstar from October 18This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever