Manjeet Chhillar (born 18 August 1986) is an Indian former professional kabaddi player who currently serves as the assistant coach of the Telugu Titans.[2] During his professional career, he played for the Indian national team and won a gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games and 2014 Asian Indoor Games in Incheon.[1] He also played for teams in the Pro Kabaddi League including the Bengaluru Bulls, Puneri Paltan, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Tamil Thalaivas, and Dabang Delhi.[3] The Government of India conferred the Arjuna Award on him for his achievements in sports.[4][5] In an exclusive chat with NNIS Sports, Chhillar termed it a 'dream' to receive the prestigious award. He was also a member of the state team of Haryana and is on top of Pro Kabaddi’s all-time leaderboards for tackle points (391), successful tackles (374) and High 5s (25).[6]
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | One Man Army Angry Young Man Mighty Manjeet, Powerhouse | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Indian | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 18 August 1986 Nizampur, Delhi, India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Railways employee | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 82 kg (181 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | India | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Kabaddi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | All-rounder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Pro Kabaddi League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Bengaluru Bulls - 2014-2015
Puneri Paltan - 2016-2017 Jaipur Pink Panthers - 2017 Tamil Thalaivas - 2018-2020 Dabang Delhi - 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Indian national kabaddi team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
editHe was born in Nizampur village in West Delhi near Ghevra metro station. Manjeet Chhillar was initially a wrestler, but an injury to his nose saw him return to his village where he started playing Kabaddi.[7] Manjeet was first seen in professional Kabaddi in the 2010 Asian Games in China.[7]
Pro Kabaddi League
editSeason 1
editHe was the captain of Bengaluru Bulls in the first season of VIVO Pro Kabaddi and won them a grand total of 51 tackle points – the highest by any defender – to emerge as the Star Sports Defender of the Tournament. Manjeet’s versatility meant that he also picked up 71 raid points[8] and helped the Bulls reach the semi-finals.[6]
Season 2
editManjeet was adjudged Most Valuable Player (MVP) in Season 2 for his all-round performance. He picked up 40 tackle points and 67 raid points[8] as Bengaluru Bulls finished as runners-up. Like the first season, Manjeet contributed heavily in attack for Bengaluru. Having said that, his defensive displays were top class as well and justifies him being MVP in Season 2.[6]
Season 3
editHe moved to Puneri Paltan ahead of the third season and was made captain. His performance levels though didn’t drop as he scored 61 tackle points and 45 raid points[8] while leading Pune to a third-placed finish in what was their best season.[6]
Season 4
editThe fourth edition of Pro Kabaddi saw both Manjeet and Pune fail to better their performance from the previous campaign. He scored only 44 tackle points[8] and 24 raid points as Pune narrowly missed out on the playoffs.[6]
Season 5
editIn Season 5, Manjeet joined Jaipur Pink Panthers and was made captain again. However, he could manage just 5 raid points and 47 tackle points[8] as the Panthers endured a difficult campaign that saw Manjeet nurse an injury for a long duration.
Season 6
editIn Season 6, he moved to Tamil Thalaivas after the Tamil Nadu based franchise picked him. Manjeet became a leader in defence for the Thalaivas and scored 59 tackle points[8] as well as 8 raid points.[6]
Season 7
editIn season 7, Manjeet continued at Tamil Thalaivas, scoring 37 tackle points and 4 raid points.
Season 8
editManjeet was bought by Dabang Delhi in the auction for Rs 20 lakh and helped the team win its maiden title. In season 8, he scored 52 tackle points from 24 games.
At the end of the season, he retired and became the assistant coach of Telugu Titans.[9]
International
editManjeet is a gold medalist in the National Championships in 2010, 2011 and 2012. He has also won gold at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games and the 2010 Asian Games. Manjeet claimed bronze at the 2012 Asian Beach Games.
Records and achievements
edit- Most Valuable Player (2015) in the PKL
- Gold at 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou
- Gold at 2014 Asian Games in Incheon
- 2016 Kabaddi World Cup winner
- 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters winner
- Arjuna Award winner (2015)[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "manjeet chillar". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ "Hyderabad setting Thames on fire". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ Thatte, Mamta (5 November 2018). "Manjeet Chillar Biography: From an Accidental Career to a Tougher, Better Athlete Proving his Mettle in Kabaddi". KreedOn. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
- ^ "State of sports affairs: After domicile row, Haryana now has digital registry of its athletes". The Indian Express. 13 February 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ "GETTING ARJUNA AWARD IS LIKE A DREAM- CHILLAR TO NNIS". Indiablooms.com. Retrieved 11 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "manjeet-chhillar-playerprofile". prokabaddi. prokabaddi. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ a b "10 things to know about Manjeet Chhillar". Retrieved 26 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "stats". prokabaddi. prokabaddi. Retrieved 27 June 2019.
- ^ Chhabria, Vinay. "Pro Kabaddi 2022: 5 superstar players who will miss a PKL season for 1st time ever". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 26 October 2022.