While kabaddi is known to have had its origins in India, recent years have seen a bunch of talents emerge in the sport from foreign shores. Gorgan, in Iran, saw the beginnings of kabaddi around 22 years ago. It's this province in Northern Iran that Fazel Atrachali calls home. The Iranian defender has been a force to reckon with in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), ever since he joined the U Mumba team in 2014. He went on to play for Patna Pirates and Gujarat Fortune Giants before returning to U Mumba this year, for a whopping '1 crore, the highest bid ever fetched by an overseas player in the tournament's history. In an email interview the 26-year-old spoke about his tryst with kabaddi.

Excerpts from the interview: