New Delhi [India], October 8 : Ahead of the Pro Kabaddi League season 11, Dabang Delhi K.C raider Naveen Kumar opened up on being labeled Naveen Express and said that the name has been given by his fans.
Naveen Kumar has suffered injuries that have sidelined him from games in recent seasons, including most of the last campaign, where he played a total of six games. Similarly, Ashu Malik endured a rotator cuff tear a couple of years ago, and needless to say, keeping both him and Naveen Kumar fit will be crucial to Dabang Delhi K.C.'s success in the 2024 edition.
Speaking at the 'Kings Of Kabaddi' episode, the raider said the fans sugged three to four names out of which Naveen Express was the most popular option.
"Naveen Express 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," said Naveen while speaking on Star Sports.
Further, the 24-year-old spoke about his journey in the sport so far.
"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 would give me money for my diet and said that you would have to play Kabaddi. My grandfather requested my coach not to beat me during the practice match, and he ensured that I would come to play Kabaddi everyday. This is how my interest kept growing in Kabaddi," the raider added.
In the end, Naveen concluded by recalling his debut season and the excitement and nervousness that he was facing.
"I remember every moment. There were lights and cameras. There was nervousness and excitement about 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 the seniors with me. They said, Naveen, you will do well. You did well in the camp," the 24-year-old said.
"When I made my entry, I had never seen such a big audience before. I was nervous. I didn't know what was going to happen. That match was over and I got 6 points. Sometimes I got an out, and sometimes a number, which happens. I came to this level where I gained confidence. I did better against Puneri Paltan. Our third match was against the Bengal Warriors, where I scored a super 10. The coach said, yes, you will do well. I was confident that I would do well," the Dabang Delhi K.C concluded.
Dabang Delhi K.C. undoubtedly possesses one of the strongest raiding units in the PKL, with the likes of Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik forming an irresistible duo in the attack. Ashu Malik finished Season 10 as the league's joint top-scoring raider with 276 raid points, while two-time MVP Naveen Kumar is sixth on the all-time leaderboard for most raid points (1005) in PKL history.
While Naveen Kumar and Ashu Malik can be expected to wreak havoc on opposition defences, Dabang Delhi K.C. can be confident in the knowledge that they have plenty of firepower and depth in attack, should either of their star raiders have an off day.
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