Fazel Atrachali (fourth left) with his U Mumba teammates.“Maybe Pro Kabaddi helped us, but not too much, maybe 10 per cent,” U Mumba and Iran defender Fazel Atrachali said on being asked how much Pro Kabaddi has helped Iran’s recent success in the Asian Games
At the 2014 Asian Games, India had a nervy final against Iran. Trailing at one stage, India had to dig deep to clinch gold. The margin between the two sides at the end of the match was a mere two points, prompting then captain Rakesh Kumar to say that it was “a game India should not have won.” Four years later the two sides met again in a high stakes match. It was the Asian Games, only the semi-final instead of the final, and this time, India did not win.
The star-studded squad led by Ajay Thakur suffered a 27-18 defeat and their downfall was plotted chiefly by Atrachali and his defensive partner Abozar Mighani. It was the first time in 28 years of the sport being played at the Asian Games that a team that is not India won gold.
Atrachali, who was captain of the team in 2014, believes that participation in Pro Kabaddi is not the only reason for the country’s success in the sport. “In the previous Asian Games in 2014, nobody played Pro Kabaddi but still Iran team was very good. We also had 12-13 point lead over India in the final. We just lacked experience. I was the captain and I was only 23 years old. This time in Asian Games in Jakarta, we had more experience, and we knew how to control the match,” the 26-year-old defender said in an exclusive interview to IndianExpress.com,
Atrachali, who started out as a wrestler in Gorgan city of Golestan Province in Iran, is the perfect example of how quickly things can change in sports. After all, at the age of six, he, like many of his teammates in the national squad, was on his way to being a wrestler. He employs some of his grappling experience on the kabaddi mat. From the left corner, he blocks a raider and then holds them by the waists to pull them apart from the body. His favourite move is a quick dash, where he runs towards the raider and throws them out of the line.
With four finals, and two PKL titles (U Mumba – 2015 and Puneri Paltans – 2016), in three years, it is no wonder he became the costliest foreign player in the league’s history, reaching the elusive Rs 1 crore mark. Returning to U Mumba after three years, he is the leading the side as the captain. The fact that Mumbai are at the top of the Group A table is not the only sign of his success this season – he is also the leading defender in terms of tackle points (67).
“I am happy with my performance, because last year, I could only muster 57 points, but this season I already have 67 points. But, first, I play for my team and if my team wins, I am happy. Being the best defender does not matter to me if my team do not reach the final,” the Iranian said when asked about his performance.
He joined U Mumba in 2015 and had to had for his chance in the dugout, with the Surender Nada-Mohit Chhillar combination being preferred over him. Eventually, he received the opportunity in U Mumba’s 13th match. Considering the reduced length of the tournament at the time, Atrachali had only a small window to make a mark and he did so with aplomb.
In the fifth season, he became the first overseas defender to score 100 tackle points. In season 4, he was also the leading defender with 52 tackle points.
Challenges are what keeps Atrachali going and it was the case even when his age could be described in single digits.
“When I was 6-7 years old, I started wrestling. I played for 2-3 years and my coach left my village. I was left without a coach, so the sport was finished. Then, I moved to football, as a goalkeeper and defender. Everyone told me to stick to football, because it is good money whereas in kabaddi did not. But football was not interesting for me, because it was not challenging enough. Because the challenge was with the ball and not a person, and that did not interest me,” Atrachali said.
He added: “When I was 10 or 11 years old, I started kabaddi. When I played the sport, I realised I enjoyed it more so I left other sports and I came here.”
Perhaps, this was why, at 23, he was handed the responsibilities to lead Iran’s national team – he exudes confidence, in everything he does. In defence, he seeks out the toughest raider to challenge, because he believes he gives his best against stronger opponents.
“I think when a strong raider is coming, I can play better because I play 100 per cent. I feel more comfortable because I enjoy challenges. If I did not enjoy challenges, I would not be in kabaddi, but in some other different sport,” Atrachali said.
