Fazel Atrachali, one of the top defenders in the Pro Kabaddi League, recently spoke about his relationship with former U Mumba captain Anup Kumar. It’s not often that we hear about the interpersonal dynamics between players on the field, but Atrachali’s honesty is refreshing. He revealed that he and Anup were not close in the beginning, but something changed as they spent more time together at U Mumba. It’s inspiring to hear that despite not starting out as friends, they were able to develop a mutual respect for each other. This is a testament to the power of teamwork and how it can transcend individual differences.
Fazel Atrachali recalled his debut season in the Pro Kabaddi League in an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda. The veteran defender was signed by U Mumba in 2015 and at the time he encountered former Indian kabaddi team captain Anup Kumar, who was the team’s skipper. Though the two had many matches between India and Iran when they were captains of their respective countries, Fazel revealed that he was not on good terms with Kumar as “so many times we had a fight with each other.” Regardless, as fate would have it, the two had to work together in U Mumba following Fazal’s signing. Fortunately, things improved for the better for them over time and now there is mutual respect between both of them.
As a foreign player on the U Mumba team in his first season, Fazel Atrachali faced a significant language barrier. Due to his limited Hindi, he struggled to connect with his fellow players and often kept to himself. However, as time went on, Fazel started to become more comfortable with the language and began to build relationships with his teammates. In particular, he commended Anup Kumar, the team’s captain, for his kindness towards all players and willingness to lend a hand. Despite the initial challenges, Fazel managed to overcome them and form a strong bond with his U Mumba family.
