In Haryana’s nondescript Budain village, a young boy nicknamed Nanha would spend his days watching older kids practise kabaddi. During those days, little did anyone imagine that the curious kid, named Narender, would one day go on to become one of the sport’s rising stars.

The youngster will now enter his third season with the Tamil Thalaivas, having made his debut with the side in season 9. The side will kick start their campaign against the Telugu Titans on the first match of October 19.

“Even now, in the village, everyone who used to play with me calls me by my nickname Nanha. I wasn’t very tall as a kid, which is why the name stuck. Now I have a decent height, but the name still remains,” Narender fondly recalled in an interaction ahead of the 11th season of the Pro Kabaddi League.

Narender’s journey into kabaddi began like a scene from a heartwarming sports movie. “As a kid, I was drawn to the kabaddi grounds where the older boys played. What started as fun with the senior players soon became a passion. Initially, I was just a spectator who didn’t have many friends, but before I knew it, kabaddi gave me a family,” he recollected.

His dedication caught the eye of Sandeep Kandola, a local kabaddi coach, who took him under his wings, and went on to fine-tune the youngster’s skills. “A small kid used to come to watch the senior players practice with a lot of dedication. Seeing him showing such interest in the sport, I pushed him to play every day,” shared Kandola.

Narender acknowledged the contribution of his family and coach in shaping his career. ”My family and my coach have been very important in my development as a kabaddi player.”

“My coach, who had a government job, was also a kabaddi player. He has kept up the tradition of playing the sport in our village in Haryana. In fact, he still trains the younger kids in our village!”

As Narender’s talent flourished, so did his dreams. However, the path to recognition wasn’t easy. “Earlier, wherever I used to go, no one recognised a kabaddi player.”

But everything changed with his introduction to the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).

“Now, thanks to the Pro Kabaddi League, everyone recognises me. The league has helped improve the face value of kabaddi players. It has also benefited me a lot, be it about the money or the recognition. And not only mine, the league has changed the life of all kabaddi players,” he said, thanking the promoters Mashal Sports.

Narender’s big break came in PKL Season 9 when he joined Tamil Thalaivas. The franchise’s CEO Shushen Vashishth recalled a pivotal moment, “I remember we were in Chennai; we had just lost a match. Narender was very disappointed with his performance because he didn’t know what happened. He said, ‘I couldn’t move my legs.’”

The setback became a turning point. Vashishth explains, “There was a little bit of his body movement which our analyst had identified. He carried this from season 9 to season 10, and he had to work on it. After rectifying it, he practiced hard, and from then on, it was like Super 10, Super 10, Super 10 for the rest of the season!.”

Narender’s journey hasn’t been without challenges. “Just like a kabaddi match, there are ups and downs,” he reflected. But his mantra remains simple: “Do your work; don’t worry about the result.”

Today, Narender has risen to become a symbol of kabaddi’s growing popularity and the opportunities it can provide. His story is not just about personal success but also about the sport’s evolution.

As he shared the story of his rise to success, Narender concluded by saying, “It was a very proud moment to represent the country,” he says, his voice filled with emotion. “The more we do well, the better it is for us.”