The Inspiring Story of Sahil Pahal from Khokhar Kabaddi Academy || Mitti Ke Sher

*This article is originally written by Rishav Garg*

Sahil Pahal- A young lad from Gumad, Sonipat, his Kabaddi journey dates back to when he was eight and used to play Kabaddi with friends in the backyard of his village. It was his persistence that has made him the star he is today, that after all the financial crisis and subsequent resistance from his family he has been able to do wonders in the game.

The struggle that Sahil had to experience is beyond imagination for many. He lost both his parents soon after taking birth. He grew up with his grandmother in his younger days. In the initial years of play, he got trained by his cousin Yogesh Pahal who soon stopped coaching after securing a job. With being unable to afford formal training, he went around watching people play in localities and tournaments. That is how he groomed his game. Later, almost a year back, he received formal training from Mr. Rambir Singh Khokhar, Kabaddi Dhronacharya Awardee, who taught him the importance of fitness and fine-tuned his game.

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A proper all-rounder of the game, he has no differences between raiding or defense and just waits for the right moment and opportunity to contribute to his team to the fullest of his capacity. The rise of Ravinder Pahal was the biggest reason why things got easy for this young lad, as the village that played against the culture of the sport started encouraging the game.

A big fan of Manjeet Chillar and Rakesh Kumar, he dreams of getting to the topmost level and making a name in the world of Kabaddi like no one else. Plying his trade into the sport, he wishes to get his name being discussed all around the world and wants to be remembered for his game. 

The K7 was indeed a blessing for Sahil in his journey for the sport. With no prior experience in any national tournaments, K7 Qualifiers was his first taste into how the professional side of Kabaddi works. His debut game against NGC Kabaddi Academy was rather forgetting, where he couldn't really score a lot of points but ended up giving away too many failed tackles and raids. But the hardships he has faced in life made him bounce back. In the second match vs AAA Kabaddi Academy, he bounced back by scoring raid points for his team and also giving his hands to a super tackle, which actually changed the game towards the academy and helped his team bag their first victory victory. The third match vs BBD Kabaddi Academy showed Sahil Paal to the best of his capabilities. In the one-sided affair that flourished the successful run of Khokhar Kabaddi Academy in K7 Qualifiers, Sahil scored 15 successful raids and handed his team a stunning victory.

After being demotivated to leave the sport several times, because of lack of motivation and support, the young lad with the emotional support of his granny, just loves to play the sport and can't leave Kabaddi behind him, as the game runs in his vein. With the grit and determination Sahil has, he sure looks ready to go big in the sport and the K7 Stage ups can be the perfect platform for him to show the world how good he is.