Kabaddi World Cup: Men who matter – Pradeep Narwal, Deepak Hooda

Starting today, TOI profiles Indian team players participating in the Kabaddi world cup
At 18, Pardeep Narwal is the youngest member of the Indian kabaddi team that will be defending its World Cup crown here from October 7.Like most of his teammates, he is far more comfortable displaying his irresistible skills within the confines of the kabaddi arena than speaking to scribes.His smile, however, is infectious and puts everyone around him at ease.
Narwal's dream of pursuing kabaddi as a serious career option has been five years in the making, and the boy from Rindhana village in Haryana's Sonepat district is hopeful he will leave his mark at the World Cup. “I come from a village where kabaddi is a craze. My chachaji (uncle) inspired me to take up the sport. In fact, 12 boys from my village have played the Pro Kabaddi League. Two of us were in the national camp and I am lucky to have made it to the Indian team,“ a proud Narwal told TOI on Thursday, the shy smile intact.
Narwal has become the talk of the circuit for executing the `dubki maarna' to great effect. Unlike most other players who try to leap past their opponents, Narwal dives heads down below their grip in search of raid points and safety. “This skill is my biggest strength and had a great impact in PKL-4 helping my team Patna Pirates to win the trophy,“ explains Narwal.

Apart from this priceless characteristic, he is keen to develop other skillsets as a raider and is hopeful that being a part of Team India will help him become a complete player in the years to come. Narwal finished Season 4 of PKL as the most valuable player, leading Patna to a second successive title. In only 38 appearances in the league, the player, who will be making his India debut at the World Cup, has amassed a total of 256 raid points.
Deepak Niwas Hooda's journey from a successful all-rounder in Pro Kabaddi League to breaking into the Indian team for the World Cup is a fascinating one. Few people know that the 22-year-old's story from a small village, Chamaria in Haryana's Rohtak district, to the national team has been full of struggles.
Even before he became a star for Telugu Titans first and later Puneri Paltan, Deepak was a part-time teacher in the same school where he studied up to the 12th standard.
Having lost his mother when he was barely four, Hooda lost his father Ram Nivas in 2011 which made him the sole bread winner of his family which included his elder sister and her two kids.

Deepak quit studies and earned a paltry Rs 4,500 by teaching in the school.It was here that he took up kabaddi, a game very popular in his village. By his own admission, Hooda took to the sport with the sole purpose of trying to find a job which would ensure a better life for his sister, nephew and niece. “I am a very late starter as far as the game goes.But, I had to earn for my sister, who is like a mother to me and provide the best education to her kids,“ Hooda told TOI.
He used to wake up at 3.30 am to practise, then rush to school and teach till 1.30pm. He would then visit his fields before once again slipping into his kabaddi gear for another round of practice from four pm till night. “I participated in my first senior nationals held in Patna (2014) representing Jharkhand (there was no place for him in the Haryana team). I was noticed and made the cut among the 22 probables for the Indian team which won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon (South Korea),“ he recalled.
Deepak works for Air India on contract and his ultimate dream is to see himself and his 15-year-old nephew play together some day.