“Kabaddi! Kabaddi!
It’s all about the chant.”
The unprecedented winners, the hattrick attainers, the heroes, and the pirates of Bihar, Patna Pirates need no introduction in the world of Kabaddi. It goes without saying that this spirited team driven by Pardeep Narwal under the supervision and coaching of Ram Mehar Singh is by far one of the most consistent teams in the Pro Kabaddi league with the distinction of reaching the playoffs in all the 5 seasons held so far. Being the trophy holders in a league with impeccable matches thrice over the seasons is definitely not an easy task and the cherry on top is the fact that the team Patna Pirates has managed to affirm the winning title in the Pro Kabaddi League seasons three through five, with more often than not different team compositions and alliances in each season. As the name suggests, the team Patna Pirates is a Patna based franchise which is owned by Mr. Rajesh V. Shah of KVS Energy and Sports Limited and is their first yet fantastic step in the world of sports. This heart throbbing team managed to make the Pro Kabaddi 2017 finale not only a nail-biting experience for the viewers but also the most viewed event on television that was not cricket. In a country with such a high affinity for cricket, attaining this position is a glory on its own. Pirates of the team believe in the spirit of not letting go no matter what and to take complete advantage of the environment around them for success. Their anthem rendered by the melodious voice of Kailash Kher is a huge hit among the masses and their fan base which has crossed hundreds and thousands already.
Pardeep, the one and only raider to score 300 points in a single season and clearly the lynchpin of the team, has gotten better as a player with every game and has broken all existing records to engrave his name and position strongly in the Pro Kabaddi history as the most efficient raider. Along with this, second raider Monu Goyat in union with the team has bagged more scores than any of the teams across the whole league. Nonetheless, each and every match of Patna Pirates, irrespective of the end result of the match, has had two things in common; one is an infallible Captain true to his name, Pardeep and second a supreme defence line. Patna Pirates is a clear favorite for one and all as this team is immensely stable and is also equipped with plenty of high achieving, hardworking all-rounders. Success doesn’t knock on the doors of these players. It comes after months and year of toiling, sweating it out on the grounds, maintaining a disciplined routine and uncountable sacrifices. Be it being the champions thrice or being one of the strongest teams in the league, Patna Pirates has paved their way and marked their territory with their seamless performance and sheer hard work.
The land of myriad sports, India has remarkably embraced kabaddi as a sport. With an expanded league and teams from 8 to 12, the love for this game is spreading like wildfire around the globe which is a heartening sight. All thanks to the television revolution, Kabaddi has managed to enter the hearts and minds of the cricket-crazy Indian population. From Bollywood stars to glitzy venues, the once rustic, no-frills sport of Kabaddi has got it all to create a mind-blowing frenzy of its own.
It is refreshing to see a shift in a world where a certain sport’s success depends on its visibility among the population and generation of large sums of revenue, an indigenous contact-sport that originated 4000 years ago and has a history of being played by the Pandavas, is finally getting to see the bright side and is giving birth to a number of marvellous players who have become role models and saintly figures for the people just like the counterparts from other sports in the industry. These small yet gigantic steps have helped gain prevalence and have also been vital in giving rise to new fans for this age-old sport. The leagues are finally harboring its personalized legion of ever so loyal and ardent followers.