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Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], September 26 (ANI): Ashish Malik, at just 20, is already in his third Pro Kabaddi League season and has been performing well in the Bengal Warriors’ defence this season, as per a release from PKL.

Hailing from a small village in Haryana, Ashish has steadily risen through the ranks of local tournaments and youth competitions, representing India at the junior level, and is now making big waves in the PKL Season 12.

In six matches played, Ashish has recorded four High 5s, winning 23 points for his side with a tackle success rate of 55 %. About the season so far, he said, “My individual performances have been fine. But we are now working together as a team to improve ourselves because we need to work together better and convert our close matches to wins. We are determined to bounce back, we have string players, we are focused, we are Warriors.”

“We have been training and practicing a lot and even during our breaks we have been watching match films, analyzing our mistakes and what we can do better. The team is highly motivated to turn our form around,” he added.

Ashish, aged 20, hails from Lakhan Majra, a village in Rohtak district, Haryana. He started playing Kabaddi in 2014 when he was around 11. “We had a ground in our village where they used to teach Kabaddi, and I started training there.” He played local tournaments, youth state tournaments, and eventually represented Haryana at the All-India Junior Kabaddi Federation Cup in 2022, where he won a gold medal.

After that, Ashish made headway into the Indian junior team for the Junior Kabaddi World Cup in 2023, where he won gold again. About his experience playing for the country, he said, ” I will never forget the feeling I got when I first wore the Indian jersey. It is everyone’s dream to play for our country, and when I did that at an early age, I genuinely have no words to describe how it felt.”

Ashish, unfortunately, lost his father as an infant and was raised by his grandmother and mother throughout his childhood. His grandmother used to work in farming and helped him and his two brothers throughout their schooling and early years.

Despite the difficult situation at home, Ashish had full support from his family to pursue Kabaddi. He said, “I have had complete support from everyone right from the start. I was not pressured and kept away from Kabaddi to focus on studies. Which is why when everyone got to know that I had been selected to represent the country, they were very happy and proud.”

This isn’t the first time Ashish and Bengal Warriorz captain Devank Dalal have spent time together on the mat. Both have competed against each other on many occasions in local tournaments back home since both players hail from Rohtak.

Ashish said, “I know Devank from before, and we are good friends. He has always been the star, even back then when we were young in Haryana, he used to be a dangerous raider. He is a friendly and supportive figure in the dressing room and has maintained a very good atmosphere. He motivates the youngsters a lot, and asks us to play freely. He is doing a fantastic job as the captain.”

Ashish, playing in defence himself, also closely works with veteran defender Nitesh Kumar, who has given him valuable insights this season. He said, “He is a very senior player and I am lucky to play with him. He has taught us how to be a real team player, not to be greedy with tackles and work as a team to catch and tackle the raiders. It has been an amazing experience so far.”

Ashish also highlighted how Coach Naveen Kumar’s leadership is shaping the whole team. He said, “The team has lost some crucial matches, but the coach isn’t giving us any negative pressure, and he believes we have what it takes to turn this season around. He has been giving us individual attention and also motivated us from time to time to ensure we don’t lose self-confidence.”

After a brief break, Bengal Warriorz is gearing up for their next game against Patna Pirates in their last match in the Jaipur leg, hoping to push into the second half of the season on a strong note. (ANI)

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