No holding back as PKL hits final straight

We're into the final straight. No holding back. It's going to be a nail biting, cliff hanging, adrenaline pumping race to the finish. The Star Sports Pro Kabaddi final four will now be living and breathing a whole set of sporting cliches: 'winning isn't everything... it's the only thing', 'no one remembers who came second', and 'now or never', among a host of others. As a sportsman, I do realize this whole stress on winning is a reality. But coming out second best is also a reality in equal measure. Losing gracefully is one of the most important life lessons in the world of sport. Jaipur and Patna, Bengaluru and Mumbai. That all teams will have fantastic memories of being an integral part of the now historic Pro Kabaddi League is a wonderful truth, but sadly, only one will win. Looking at the semifinals, it is important to remember the conditions that have brought each team to the finals here in Mumbai. The Jaipur Pink Panther team, with its solid, all-round playing scheme has been a bastion of success, with the longest winning streak in the league. The hometown favorite, U Mumba, plays with a similar balance; their skipper Anup Kumar is symbolic of the entire team with his conservative but immensely effective raiding style. With such an array of playing styles, ages, and geographical origins, the Finals at the magnificent new sNSCItadium are going to be a paradigm of everything we love about kabaddi - the quick silver moves, daring raids, bone jarring tackles, supreme athleticism, and trueblue Indian sport - all amounting to something no one will want to miss.