New Delhi: The Future Kabaddi Heroes (FKH) programme, an initiative to foster Kabaddi at the grassroots level and unearth local talent in India, received a great response with 415 aspirants participating at the three-day trials here.
The FKH programme is a comprehensive three-stage talent scouting and development initiative.
In the first stage, the players showcased their skills in their bid to make it through to the sixth auction pool of the Pro Kabaddi Season and were judged by the expert panel, led by Jaivir Sharma, coach, Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Srinivas Reddy, assistant coach of Haryana Steelers for the fifth edition of the Pro Kabaddi Season.
Vizag is the next destination for the panel to unearth Kabaddi talent.
Commenting on the talent witnessed on the ground, Jaivir said, “At the FKH in Delhi we witnessed some exceptionally talented Kabaddi players. There were players who travelled from across North India and the NCR region, for the trials. It was overwhelming to see players with such great talent showcase their skills. Looking at the youngsters and the response, our faith in the future of Kabaddi is only getting stronger and this platform is going to boost the entire ecosystem for the sport.”
Shrikanth M, General Secretary, Delhi State Kabaddi Association said, “I believe that the FKH is an ideal platform for aspiring Kabaddi players to showcase their skills. The North of India is deeply connected with the sport and is the hot-bed of Kabaddi talent. We are glad that some promising players have emerged after the rigorous three-day selection process.”
Following a rigorous short-listing process in 18 cities, a total of over 200-220 players will be selected for Phase II. Out of those, over 100 players will be chosen for Phase III where they will undergo a month-long intensive training camp and subsequently be drafted in the player auction pool of the kabaddi league. (ANI)