CHENNAI: As the talent pool for Indian kabaddi came together to hone their skills during a training camp at the Inspire Institute of Sport in Ballari, Karnataka ahead of an important year, one cannot ignore the presence of 20-year-old raider Ayan Lohchab. Ayan comes fresh off the back of an record-breaking Pro Kabaddi League season, and is keen on continuing this form in the lead up to the Asian Games later this year.
Organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), along with Mashal Sports, to identify and shortlist probable players for the Asian Games in Japan, Aryan was one of the names to watch for in the camp. As many as 45 men and the same number of women trained for a week during the camp that concluded on Thursday. "I got to improve my strength, mobility and agility. There were classes on agility. The knowledge (on Kabaddi) has gotten better, more than I knew already," Aryan told this daily.
Dubbed as a one for the future ahead of PKL 2025, the raider from Haryana put in performances that positioned him as a force to reckon with. He helped Patna Pirates leap from 12th in the league table to the knockouts, scoring 316 raid points. There, they won the play-in tournament, but only travelled as far as eliminator 3 where they lost to Telugu Titans.
For Aryan, who was awarded the New Young Player Award in PKL 2024, leading the team to the qualifier was a big feat. He helped the team win eight games in a row - the longest streak in PKL. "The coach in Patna had said even if you lose, you give your best. And focus on your game. And the management and everything had supported us throughout our journey," he recollected.
Hailing from Bupania near the industrial town of Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district Haryana, Lohchab began playing Kabaddi on mud courts in his village. With the talent he possessed, his father Sandeep, enrolled him in the Sushil Shastri Academy in Sonipat, which is an hour away from the village. "As I played the game there, I started liking it. My father took me to the academy there, and I trained there," he said.
With his performances last year, he quickly became a local hero there. Now, Aryan aims to be a part of the Indian team ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. "I will give my best to get into the final squad for the Asian Games. The main goal for this year is to win a medal there," he said.
