Shivam hopes to contribute to U Mumba with 'speed'

Earlier this year, the K7 Qualifiers gave a platform to several young players from the various lesser-known towns in India. Young raider from the Parveen and Jasvir Panipat Kabaddi Academy, Shivam was picked by U Mumba ahead of season 8 of the Pro Kabaddi League. 

In the three matches that he played in the K7 Qualifiers, he accumulated 19 points and was impressive for his team. Here are the excerpts from his exclusive interview with KabaddiAdda. 

How did you start playing Kabaddi?

I started playing Kabaddi at the age of 14-15 in my school. Everyone was fond of the sport in my village of Shikhara in the bulandshahr district of UP. Later on, I joined the JS Academy which is handled by Sanju Rana.

Who guided you to enroll in the academy?

In my village, circle-style Kabaddi is played but that doesn’t have a bright future. Abhishek Singh of U Mumba had played national level at that time. He guided me and I enrolled in the academy because of him.

Do you have experience in playing nationals?

Last year, I played junior nationals for Uttar Pradesh and won the silver medal. It was a great experience as I played on that level for the first time and I was nervous. But my experienced seniors helped me a lot.

How was your experience of playing in K7 Qualifiers?

Gajender, my coach, told me about it and sent us to Jasvir Singh in Haryana. He told us about the tournament and I was selected through the trials. K7 is a great opportunity for the players who don’t get opportunities elsewhere. Coaches approach us for jobs and we have visibility when we play there.

How did you get selected for U Mumba?

I gave my trials in Pune and got selected. It is great to be a part of the Pro Kabaddi League and even my family is happy. We train hard and work towards playing at the national level and the PKL, so it feels good.”

What was the reaction of your family after you got selected?

My father is very happy that I got selected. My mother passed away in my childhood. My father always gave me the freedom to pursue whatever I wanted to and give my cent percent towards it.

What are your strengths and how do you think U Mumba will benefit from them?

My favorite techniques are running hand touch and bonus. My speed is my greatest strength and that will help U Mumba. I will try to learn as much as I can from the team and the seniors.