Arjun Deshwal (Kabaddi Player)

Quick Introduction

About Arjun Deshwal

The game of Kabaddi originated in Tamil Nadu, India, almost 4,000 years ago. After the 'Khelo India Youth Games' campaign was initiated, people started taking an interest in games other than cricket. The sport Kabaddi has gathered precedence worldwide since the introduction of the 'Pro Kabaddi League' and the 'World Kabaddi League'. Famous Kabaddi players like Ajay Thakur, Pradeep Narwal, Rahul Chaudhari, Maninder Singh, and Rohit Kumar are some Indian Kabaddi champions

Arjun Deshwal is a professional Kabaddi player and plays as a raider from the side of Jaipur Pink Panthers. This Pro Kabbadi Player has come a long way and finally made it to the Asian Kabaddi championship representing Team India. He is a quick-paced and skilled kabaddi player who has scored his place in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Early Life

Arjun Deshwal, the prominent Indian Kabaddi player, was born on 7 July 1999 in the village called Basera, Muzaffarnagar, UP. He was skilled in Kabaddi since early childhood, and his Kabaddi career began at the age of 11. As a child, he was fond of playing cricket. However, he had a habit of watching boys from his village play Kabaddi, and many returned with prizes after events. Instances like this inspired him to join the Kabaddi team, and he had never heard of anyone in his village who won a prize for cricket.

At the age of 14, he switched sports from cricket to Kabaddi and discovered that he was a swift Raider. During the Kabaddi tournament, he represented his school at district level. Within a year, he was selected for the U-16 match team, representing his school. Then in 2015, he was chosen as a state champion in the under-19 team. In the year 2017, he participated in National Senior Kabaddi Match from Uttar Pradesh. By 2019, he finally had a chance to play in the Uttrakhand State-level National Kabaddi Match. He gathered many audiences and was praised by many for his agility.

Kabaddi Career

One of the most significant events for the organization of Kabaddi tournaments is the PKL Auctions. Like every professional Kabaddi player, Deshwal had dreamt of bringing home the Kabaddi World Cup. Up till now, he is counted among the best and most expensive Kabaddi Players. He was auctioned at the amount of 96 Lakhs. He was picked out in the PKL Season 8 2021 Auction.

Achievements

When he got an offer from Bangalore and Hyderabad Army to join the army based on his sports skills, he refused it because he wasn't yet 18 and wanted to focus on his Kabaddi career as much as he could. He denied the offer twice and kept on practicing until he turned 18. After passing 18, he went to Roorkee for the Army Trial, and he got enlisted because of his athletic achievements. He joined the Army from Roorkee.

As he had joined the ranks under the sports Quota, he continued his Kabaddi practice under the guidance of his long-time coach Mr. Bhupinder Singh. His persistence didn't stop even when he got back to his village during vacation and practiced with his village coach, Mr. Dharminder Singh.

His vigorous determination got him the attention of the Pro Kabaddi League selectors. In the year 2018, he signed a contract with the U Mumba team at Rs 8 Lakh in the Pro Kabaddi League Season 6. Unfortunately, he got injured while playing and could only contribute in 3 matches for that particular season. Later that season, Arjun once again played for the U-Mumba team and scored 109 raids in 19 matches. His game was not up to the expectation, but it gave him all the required appreciation and attention. He became one of the well-known players, and the higher-ups from Kabaddi circles considered him a good player with enough potential.

At the Peak

He became the most wanted player among all teams during the Season 8 of the Pro Kabaddi League. At the amount of Rs 96 Lakhs, Arjun decided to join the Jaipur Pink Panthers and leave behind his former team. He was getting paid almost four times more than his previous salary.

The young player admitted in an interview that seeing his remarkable performance in the 2019 Senior National Kabaddi Championship, the U Mumba wanted to extend the contract for Season 8 as well, but at the advice from his family, he chose to go for the PKL auction. He was anxious as he had never been a part of the National auction pool, but it all turned out better than he had expected. His revenue had jumped a long way from 19.46 Lakhs to 96 Lakhs within a matter of three days.

After the auction was over, Arjun Deshwal was known to be one of the most expensive Kabaddi players at that time. Being a part of Jaipur Pink Panther, he has collected seven Super 10s, one after the other. Jaipur has found a gem in Arjun Deshwal, and he has scored many wins for his team.

In the year 2021-22, Jaipur Pink Panthers had a good start, and along the season, they collected many wins in their corner; Arjun Deshwal has been the pride and honor of the team without missing the mark. He is now counted among the most admirable Kabaddi players in the country.

Future Expectations

Arjun Deshwal has proven his worth and gathered fame and respect at the young age of 24, inspiring millions of young sports enthusiasts in India. Up till now, Arjun's performance has been flawless, but it remains to be seen if he can hold out well under the pressure and limelight associated with the sport. The actual values required in the sportsman are self-confidence and determination to achieve success at all costs, which is evident in Arjun, and he is progressing swiftly in his career, making India proud.

He is the champion of the future, picked out at the right time, and like him, many other players such as Pawan Sehrawat, Pradeep Nehrwal, and Siddharth Siris Desai have been at the same place, picked out from the small districts of India and on the way of becoming well-known celebrities.