Jeeva kumar

All India University Games: Mukilan Shanmugam, who hails from Karur, began playing kabaddi at the age of 14. He played kabaddi in school and often participated in matches in his village. Initially, his family didn’t support him, but they didn't stop him either. However, once he started competing in tournaments regularly and showcasing his skills on larger platforms, his family began to support him.

The 22-year-old made his Yuva Kabaddi Series debut with Palani Tuskers during the Winter Edition 2022. He had a fabulous season, earning 59 points from 26 matches with the Tuskers. Soon after his YKS debut, Shanmugam was called by Pro Kabaddi League club U Mumba for trials.

A happy Shanmugam shared his story as he was quoted saying, “Following my participation in the All India University Games, I gave a trial with the Palani Tuskers and was selected to represent the team in the Yuva Kabaddi Winter Edition 2022 in Pondicherry. We had a great season and finished as the runners-up. After seeing my performance, U Mumba management called me for the trials in Mumbai,” he said.