Pro Kabaddi League has taken sport from clay to mat, from schools to five-star hotels: Haryana Steelers coach Manpreet Singh

Bellary (Karnataka) [India], September 14 (ANI): Haryana Steelers coach Manpreet Singh said on Wednesday that Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) has helped the sport grow and taken it from clay to mat, from outdoor to indoor stadiums and from schools to five-star hotels.
The ninth season of the league will start from October 7. Manpreet Singh is the coach of the Haryana Steelers side, which is looking forward to winning its first title.
"Kabaddi has progressed a lot since the arrival of the Pro Kabaddi League. We have come from 'mitti' to mat, outdoor to indoor stadiums, schools to five-star hotels. Everyone enjoys this game and watches that match, be it our Prime Minister, an army jawan or a farmer. It is a sport rooted in our culture. Today, you do not need to tell anyone that you play Kabaddi. They know your name and work. I am really happy at how Kabaddi has progressed," said Manpreet in an exclusive interview with ANI.
On the newest season of the league, the coach said that he is excited to have his team play in front of crowds once again, something that could not happen during the eighth season due to COVID-19.
Questioned about his team's preparation, Manpreet said, "Since last 3-4 seasons, we have seen new teams winning the title. The team with the best balance, teams in which youngsters do well, will win. Our young boys also did well last season. Seniors are also good. The balance in our team is also great. There is a good mix of seniors and juniors."
"I feel we can definitely win the trophy this time. The atmosphere is nice. Training is nice and has been going on for a month. Our team combination is good. No one is injured. Everything is in our favour. We take three sessions of training in the morning, noon, evening. If boys do 80 per cent of what they do in training, we can win all our matches," he added.
Manpreet said that it is really great that traditional sports like Kabaddi and other sports are getting their own leagues in India.
"Indian sports have made a lot of progress and our medal tally in Olympics, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games is going higher. It is because players have a lot of options now, from leagues to local tournaments. Every Indian must be happy that traditional sports are getting their leagues," he added.
The coach had a message for the youngsters that everyone should take up sports as it keeps their health good, lets them bring laurels to the country and also provides the youngsters with job opportunities. (ANI)