Sandeep Narwal’s strength and agility make him one of the best players currently in India in the world of Kabaddi.
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Imagine a player wanting to reach the opponent’s line but he is encountered by a 180 cm close to 90 kg brute. That is the kind of impact Sandeep Narwal has on opponents. His rare combination of a great height and a massive physique make him one of the best blockers in the Kabaddi scene in India. From the age of eight in Sonipat, Narwal bagged numerous medals for school level Kabaddi, which paved his way for state team selection. Sandeep was selected by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and was sent to Gandhinagar. After his initial training, Narwal became one of the key players in the Pro Kabaddi League when he played for the Patna Pirates for three seasons.
In the Pro Kabaddi League, Narwal demonstrated his signature move, which was the Block. In this move, the defender places himself in front of the escaping raider to form a wall between him and the touchline thereby restricting his passage, Sandeep’s physical prowess enables him to stop most of the raiders using block. He also uses Dash to good effect. Being a corner defender, his balance is good and he also does fairly good ankle hold and thigh hold. He can play the right cover position as well which creates versatility and provides an option for any team that he plays with. His aggression and leadership qualities are well-known, his passion for the sport unrivaled and his strength in defense unmatched.
What is the success behind his blocking success? It probably came down to the one bit of advice that his coach Jagdish Narwal, the father of another Kabaddi great Pardeep Narwal had given before he started his career. “Never fear the opponent, however great or talented he might be, believe in yourself and only worry about their performance, never their name or fame.” That was the advice given to Sandeep by his coach and that has remained with him for a long time.
The success of Narwal
Sandeep was part of the Indian team which won the Gold medal in South Asian Games 2016. He was also part of the title-winning Indian team for Kabaddi World Cup 2016 and Dubai Masters 2018. He was also part of the Indian team who won the bronze medal in the 2018 Asian Games after losing to Iran in the semifinals.
However, if there is another passion for Sandeep, it is Volleyball. In the past, he has admitted that his love for volleyball is more than that of Kabaddi as he plays Kabaddi only when he wants to but is ever ready to play volleyball.
