Pro Kabaddi League has improved lifestyle of drivers sons Sunil Lande and Pravin Newale
Pune: Thanks to the Pro Kabaddi League, boys practising the sport have become rich. Sons of professional drivers Sunil Lande and Pravin Newale from Bhosari and Chikali respectively, have made it big, thanks to this indigenous game which has got recognition after 60 years of the country's independence.
"Never in the wildest of my dreams had I thought that I would earn money through this game. I loved the game and my dedication and commitment towards it has finally paid off," said Newale, speaking of kabaddi, which is the national game of Bangladesh.
The money, compared to other games, is meager but the duo are proud that today they are professional (kabaddi) players.
"Yes, I am proud to be a kabaddi player, and I will give the best for my team and the few people who come to watch and cheer us," said Newale, who is a contract employee with Mahindra & Mahindra, the company that gave him his first job.
Newale who also runs a Kabaddi team named Om Sai in Chikali said that this league has given a new lease of life to all kabaddi players.
"Now, I can tell my wards that there is something waiting for them in the days ahead, provided they are committed and dedicated to the game," said Newale, one of the leading players of the team.
On the other hand, for Lande, it is a journey which he thought is all but over when it came to the game of kabaddi. However, this league has opened a new avenue for the game.
"I am sure there will be many youngsters taking to the game and make it their career," said Lande, a resident of Vittal Rukmani Mandir in Bhosari, who recalled the days when his friends would mock him for being a poor kabaddi player.
Pune Paltan gears up
Insurekot Sports officially launched the team Puneri Paltan, the franchise that will represent Pune in the league. Puneri Paltan will be led by Wazir Singh, who has a long and distinguished record in the sport of kabaddi. Singh has represented India, the state of Rajasthan and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). He was part of the team that won the silver medal for India at the 2011 South Asian Beach Games. Ramphal Kaushik, is the official coach of the side. Puneri Paltan are undergoing training sessions at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex in Balewadi and will be playing its opener in Mumbai on July 27. The inaugural edition of the league starts on July 26.
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