Kabaddi World Cup - We will turn the tables this time: Meraj

MUMBAI: Thanks to his exploits in the last three editions of the Pro Kabaddi League, Iran captain Meraj Sheykh has become a popular figure in Indian kabaddi circles. A member of the 2014 Asian Games squad that went down to India in the title clash, Meraj claims that his team is very much capable of upsetting India in the third Kabaddi World Cup (from Oct 7 to 22 in Ahmedabad) after ending as runners-up on the previous two occasions.Meraj spoke exclusively to TOI.
Following are the excerpts:
Tell us about kabaddi in Iran?
Kabaddi is a traditional sport in Iran and is known as Zou. There are separate junior and senior championships with participation from 31 provinces. We have a professional league where 16 teams participate. There is technical selection of players during the professional league and the `player of the league' is chosen to play for the national team. There were five different camps for the team to get ready for World Cup.
Do you have an Indian coach? Who coaches the national team?
We requested for coaches from India to regulate programme of camps for selection of national team. Foreign and domestic coaches were involved during the practice and planning. Kianoush Naderian is our coach.
Who are the players to watch out for in your team?
Abozar Mohajer, Soleyman Pahlevan, Mohsen Maghsodlou, Abbas Koruki and Farhad Rahimi are main members of our team.
Could you share your experiences of playing in India?
It has been good for us because after being part of the kabaddi scene, we have kind of understood the tactics and techniques used by our Indian counterparts.
Who are your favourite Indian players?
Indian skipper Anup Kumar is fantastic. Then Navneet Gautam, Rakesh Kumar, Ajay Thakur, Manjeet Chhillar, Sandeep Narwal, they all are very impressive.
Iran has finished runners-up in the last two World Cups losing to India? Will you guys be able to beat the hosts?
I am 100 percent sure about that. We have always been a formidable side and we've improved more from the last time we played India. We have more young players playing for us now and they have the experience of playing in India.
Is it possible for Iran players to make a living out of kabaddi?
Yes. Because all of them are educated and Iran kabaddi federation always supports them to get a good job and they enjoy good reputation in Iranian society.
Why is Iranian kabaddi influenced by wrestling?
The Iranians are known for producing world class wrestlers and have brought the tray its of wrestling in their style of kabaddi. Wrestling's effect can be seen when going for low-attacks in defence and forceful grip techniques using maximum power. Because we come from a rough terrain, we have good lower body, strength.
Have you worked out your plans for the Indians?
We are being made to watch a lot of match clips. Coaches usually analyse players from other countries and base their technique accordingly.