Neeraj Narwal, Surjeet looking forward with much hope at Pro Kabaddi-9 auctions

Charkhi Dadri (Haryana), July 22 (IANS) Neeraj Narwal put up a brilliant performance to help Bihar secure a 51-25 victory over Odisha in their Pool A match at the 69th Senior Men's National Kabaddi Championship here on Friday.

The raider top-scored with 18 points as Bihar started their campaign on a winning note in the nationals.

While the players are focused on helping their teams compete for the national title, talk of the Pro Kabaddi League is not far from their minds as the clock ticks down for the PKL-9 auction in August.

When asked on the sidelines if he is thinking about the Pro Kabaddi Season 9 Player Auctions, Neeraj Narwal said, "God will take care of everything and whatever happens, will happen for the good. I would definitely like to play for Delhi Dabang K.C. again, but let's see what happens, time will tell. I am also looking to catch the Indian team selectors' eye through my performances here at the nationals. If I get selected for India camp, then nothing like it."

Narwal played a crucial role in Dabang Delhi K.C. winning their first Pro Kabaddi title last season, scoring 47 points in 19 matches.

Reminiscing about their victory, the raider expressed, "It was really good to win the Pro Kabaddi title last season, we were very happy. Our Coach Krishan Kumar Hooda was very helpful. He gave us the opportunities and we grabbed them with both hands. The team environment was also fantastic and everyone backed each other during the competition."

The costliest defender of the Season 8 Player Auction and the captain of Tamil Thalaivas in the last season, Surjeet Singh also shared his thoughts on the upcoming Player Auctions.

"Various coaches from the Pro Kabaddi teams are here and they are looking at our performances. They will decide who they want to pick for this year's season from here. We were waiting for the Pro Kabaddi Auction dates and it has finally been announced today. A lot of new players will get a chance to play in the Pro Kabaddi this year," said the Defender after helping Services Sports Control Board defeat Puducherry 54-20 in their Pool B match.

Apart from giving his best for whichever franchise picks him in the Player Auctions, Surjeet is also keen to mentor the young players in his team, "I will definitely look to give my 100 percent to whichever team picks me in the Player Auction. There are a lot of young players, who play well. I look to guide them as well. I got an opportunity to mentor players when I was the Captain of the Tamil Thalaivas last season. I kept trying to motivate my players and ensured that they didn't feel the pressure when they made mistakes."

The Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 Player Auctions will be held from August 5-6, 2022 in Mumbai.