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Telugu Titans captain Pawan Sehrawat recently opened up on how he got his first deal in the Pro Kabaddi League. Pawan's first PKL franchise was Bengaluru Bulls, and the team's coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat signed him outside the auction after spotting him at a local tournament.
During an appearance on Figuring Out With Raj Shamani, Pawan Sehrawat shared details of how he signed his first PKL contract. Pawan disclosed that he unexpectedly received a phone call from Bulls coach Randhir after his brilliant performance in a tournament played in Kheda.
It is pertinent to note that Pawan had not played senior nationals yet. Still, coach Randhir took the risk and signed him. Pawan received a call from an unknown number while he was on a holiday from his other job. Little did he know that phone call was going to change his life forever.
"I did not even have coach Randhir Sehrawat's number at that time. He called me once when I was on a holiday from job. So, he called me, and I asked 'Who is this?' He replied, 'Kutte, tune mera number bhi save nahi kar rakha.' He was the coach of a PKL team. How would I know him!" Pawan hilariously said.
Randhir asked Pawan to come to a nearby ground, where the Bengaluru Bulls team manager was present along with a Pro Kabaddi League official. Pawan borrowed a bike from someone in his neighborhood, bought a box of sweets and went to sign the contract.
"I was a healthy, fatty boy"- Pawan Sehrawat explains why his family allowed him to play Kabaddi
In the same interview, Pawan Sehrawat was asked how he got into kabaddi even though the Pro Kabaddi League did not exist during his childhood days.
Interestingly, Pawan said that he was a little overweight during his childhood, which is why his family thought that he would become fit if he played a sport like kabaddi.
"I was a healthy, fatty boy. I saw kabaddi being played in the stadium near my house. My desire to achieve big in whatever field I choose. My family allowed me to play kabaddi so that I become fit," Pawan said.
Pawan Sehrawat also shared the problems he had to overcome to learn kabaddi. His father was a taxi driver, while his mother was a housewife. Since the kabaddi practice was early in the morning before school, Pawan would travel 10 kms on his grandfather's cycle to learn the game.
"When I was in seventh standard, I would take my grandpa's old cycle and travel 10 kms daily for practice. I would wake up 3.30am or 4am in the morning because it would take me around 40 minutes to reach the ground, where my coach would train me. Then, I would come back home and go to school," Pawan concluded.
It goes without saying that Pawan's hardwork during his younger days has paid off now. He is the captain of Telugu Titans and also among the highest-paid players in Pro Kabaddi League.
