Kabaddi is definitely very popular and a big hit, confesses Sharath Kamal

Sharath Kamal was present on the third day of this year's Pro Kabaddi League encounter at Chennai. Kamal attended his first PKL match yesterday and revealed that he remains an ardent supporter of the sport having watched it since the third season. The 37-year old further spoke about how much the sport has grown on an international level in the last five years or so. 

"I was a bit nervous initially, but I kept it simple. I drew references from table tennis when asked about fitness, strategy and mental fitness by my co-commentator. 

“It was my first time at a live Kabaddi match. I have watched it on TV, the but real energy can only be felt when you are in the stadium. (When) you go to a restaurant or a public space, you see people watching kabaddi. The sport is definitely very popular and it’s a big hit. Moreover, the technicalities can easily be grasped on the television,” Kamal told Sportstar in a recent interview. 

The Indian paddler is currently in his home town Chennai after leading Chennai Lions to a thunderous 8-1 victory over Dabang Delhi. The Chennai Lions leader also spoke about the similarities between kabaddi and table tennis as he gave further insight into Chennai Lions' recent UTT win against the Delhi outfit. 

"There are many similarities when it comes to finesse and strategy building, the way defenders support the raiders and coaches sharing their advice. This is what sport is all about — having each other’s back.

“It was great to win the league. I had not been part of the final till now, but it was good to win the final it in my first appearance. The semifinal was our true test. We were trailing 1-5, then we took it to 6-6 and eventually Madhurika Patkar won it for us. We rode on that confidence in the final and lifted the trophy,” Sharath concluded.