Panchkula
Anup Kumar announced his retirement with immediate effect on Wednesday, drawing the curtain on a long and illustrious career as one of India’s best kabaddi players. A veteran in the sport, Arjuna Award winner Anup began his international career in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Sri Lanka. He led India to gold medal at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. The 35-year-old had also led India to the Kabaddi World Cup title triumph in 2016. In season 2 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Anup captained U Mumba and led the team to victory. “When I started playing kabaddi, it was a great hobby and over the years the hobby became the most important part of my life,” Anup said.

“The day I started playing kabaddi professionally, I had one dream to represent my country and bring back a gold medal,” the 35-year-old added. “I am one of the few lucky ones who had the opportunity to accomplish their most important dream. Today, with the Pro Kabaddi League, the magnitude of the sport has grown by leaps and bounds and I could not be happier than to watch and grow and be a part of this journey,” he added.

“Coincidentally, today is also the 10th birthday of my son, and that makes this date even more memorable. Going forward, if there is anything I am confident about, it is knowing that I will always want to be connected with the sport,” he added.

Ronnie Screwvala, team owner of U Mumba, said: “When I heard of Anup Kumar’s retirement, I have to say it didn’t surprise me because he is one of the smartest players in kabaddi.