Anup Kumar lays emphasis on anger management and fitness

Season 1 MVP and U Mumba captain Anup Kumar is fully aware of what he needs to do as the leader of the side in their bid to replicate their success in 2015. It is maintaining composure, and resist giving in to one’s emotions in high-pressure situations. Speaking at a media forum ahead of VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 starting July 28, Kumar said: "It’s good to remain cool and calm [as captain] in the middle. If you shout or get angry on the player, he will feel the pressure and will make more mistakes. So, to avoid that you can simply ask him to correct or change your strategy.”

"The captain has to play his own game and also guide other members according to the situation," he added.

Nicknamed ‘Captain Cool’, Kumar, who is the third-highest scoring raider in Pro Kabaddi history with 377 raid points, seemed also keen to emphasise the importance of fitness for the 13-week long competition this season. “We are working on our fitness now. A 20-day team camp, which was held at Dehradun, was completely focused on fitness. We hardly got a chance to step on the mat. Every team expects their 8-9 important players to play the entire league. So, in order to do that, we have to remain fit,” Kumar said.

The highest scoring raider over the past four seasons, Telugu Titans’ Rahul Chaudhari (482 raid points), also accompanied Kumar to the media forum and mirrored his national team captain’s thoughts on fitness. "Fitness is very important when the league is long. It's a contact sport and each time you are on the mat, you are expected to give your 100 percent. And to do that for a long time, you have to remain fit," Chaudhari said.