HYDERABAD: ‘Age is just a number.’ This adage is thrown around in various types of discourse. But, there are very few who actually feel this way. Dharmaraj Cheralathan, the oldest player in the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League, is one of them. At 42, the defender is giving serious competition to youngsters almost half his age. In five seasons of the league, the Thanjavur man has ‘tackled’ for four teams, with Puneri Paltan being his latest. The side sits comfortably at the top of Zone A table with two wins on-the-trot. In his very first match this season, Dharmaraj executed a Super Tackle to help his team record a resounding 33-21 victory over U Mumba.
Kabaddi is immensely popular in Tamil Nadu and that is how Dharmaraj got hooked. “When I was in school, I used to play kabaddi a lot. Slowly and steadily my interest in the sport started growing and then I thought I could make a career out of it,” Dharmaraj told Express on Sunday. The much longer fifth season — a total of 93 days and 138 matches — has attracted considerable attention due to impressive purse promised to players. Dharmaraj himself got a hefty deal of Rs 46 lakh. Asked what he plans to do with the sum, the South Central Railway employee said, “Whatever I will do, it will be for my family, especially for my son. I have not given a thought about spending the money on myself.” He quipped that his son, a class 9 student, watches him play on TV. “He is really interested in the sport. And many times, he analyses my moves afterwards and gives me ideas,” Dharmaraj said with a laugh.
He emphasised that the respect he commands back home is the best gift from the PKL. “People recognise me when I go home. That is a great feeling,” Dharmaraj, who stays in Hyderabad due to his Railways commitment, said. Due to his experience on the mat, he is called ‘Anna’ in Kabaddi circles. Just three short of 200 PKL points (40 raid points included) across five seasons, he said that it does not bother him that he is not captaining a team anymore.
He had led Patna Pirates to the title last season. “I just concentrate on the team’s results and I just want to contribute. That’s all.”How does a 42-year-old continue to excel in this contact sport? “I do a lot of running, go regularly to the gym and do everything required to maintain fitness,” is how he does it. Incidentally, the Puneri Paltan defender’s younger brother D Gopu has also played in the league and is a defender, just like his elder brother.
vishal@newindianexpress.com