NAVEEN EXPRESS WAS ACTUALLY THE NAME GIVEN TO ME BY FANS – NAVEEN KUMAR
Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11, Dabang Delhi' star player Naveen Kumar shared his excitement and got candid on his journey ahead of the upcoming season for the opening match of PKL 2024 against U Mumba, set for October 18th from 7:30 PM onwards.
Speaking on his journey in ‘Kings Of Kabaddi’ episode of Star Sports, Naveen Kumar said, “I was in 5th class and not good in studies at all. Through a government scheme, I came to know that there are some events that is happening in my district. I skipped my school to participate in that event and cleared the match with 19 marks. After passing, I was told that the government will give me money for my diet and said that you will have to play Kabaddi. My grandfather requested my coach not to beat me during the practice match, and he ensured that I will come to play Kabaddi everyday. This is how my interest kept growing in Kabaddi
Speaking about being the only player who made his debut in PKL at such a young age, Naveen said on ‘Kings of Kabaddi’ episode of Star Sports,” No, I didn't feel that, but I had thought about it. When I used to see Rishank , Anoop, Ajay Thakur when I used to play, I thought that one day I would make a name for myself like them. I would work hard to reach that level. I didn't thought that I would come this early. I just knew that I had to do something if I wanted to achieve something. So, I was working hard. I had dreams that came true.”
Speaking about his debut season and the excitement and nervousness that he was facing, Naveen said on ‘Kings of Kabaddi’ episode of Star Sports,” I remember every moment. There were lights and cameras. There was nervousness and excitement on how we would play the match. Our first leg started in Chennai in 2018. We played the 1st match against Gujarat. We were a good team with Sachin, Sunil and Parvesh. I was confident that I would do well. The coach gave me a chance. Everyone was supporting me. There were all seniors with me. They said, Naveen, you will do well. You did well in the camp. When I made my entry, I had never seen such a big audience before. I was really nervous. I didn't know what was going to happen. That match was over and i got 6 points. Sometimes I got an out, sometimes a number, which happens. I came to this level that I gained confidence. I did better against Puneri Paltan. Our third match was against Bengal Warriors, where I scored a super 10. The coach said, yes, you will do well. I was confident that I would do well”
Speaking on his fan moment, Naveen said on ‘Kings of Kabaddi’ episode of Star Sports,” The day I scored a super 10, I got a lot of requests. The number of requests increased eventually. He cheekily mentions that, “I remember, young girls were saying, that I am a big fan and please marry me. Naveen also mentioned that his wife is also in sports and is a pistol-shooter. “I met her on Instagram. We had been friends for 2-3 years. She is a sports person. She doesn't bother me much. She knows how much rest I need and makes a good diet for me. She knows what an athlete needs. Whenever I am demotivated, she supports me.”
Speaking on the story behind his jersey number 10, Naveen said on ‘Kings of Kabaddi’ episode of Star Sports,” I used to go to watch Sachin Tendulkar’s matches with my father and grandfather. That's how I came to know about jersey number 10. My seniors used to ask me which jersey number I wanted. I used to say that I wanted jersey number 10. That's how I came to know about jersey number 10. When I made my debut, Viraj, who is my senior, had the jersey number 10. He was already a retained player. I asked him to give me jersey number 19. After he went away, I was given jersey number 10 and from there, I decided that I will never leave this jersey.
Speaking about being labelled as Naveen Express, Naveen said on ‘Kings of Kabaddi’ episode of Star Sports,” It was actually the name given to me by fans. As every player in the PKL was assigned a name, my manager also suggested and asked the fans on social media to give some name to me. There were 3-4 options. Naveen Express was the most popular option.”
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