Kabaddi Meets Hockey: PKL Team Gujarat Giants and Indian Men’s Hockey Team Come Together for Special Crossover (Watch Video)

Bengaluru (Karnataka)[India], August 6: As part of their pre-season preparations for Pro Kabaddi League Season 12, Gujarat Giants had a special interaction with the Indian Men's Hockey Team at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru.

Gujarat Giants players, Himanshu Jaglan, Rakesh, Parteek Dahiya, Nitin Panwar and V Ajith Kumar, along with the Head Coach Jaivir Sharma, Assistant Coach Varinder Singh Sandhu and Fitness Trainer Abhishek Parihar, drew inspiration from the Indian Team Hockey team and even tried their hand at hockey, while the hockey players experienced kabaddi drills in return, according to a release from Adani Sportsline. PKL 2025 Schedule: Telugu Titans Face Tamil Thalaivas in Season 12 Opener on August 29, Tournament To Be Held Across Vizag, Jaipur, Delhi and Chennai (See Full List of Fixtures).

PKL Franchise Gujarat Giants Meets Indian Men’s Hockey Team

In what was a cross-learning experience, players and coaches discussed the shared physical and tactical demands of hockey and kabaddi, including strength, speed, agility, and tactical awareness. The teams also exchanged insights on strength and conditioning, injury prevention, and ways in which training methods from one sport can benefit performance in the other.

Much to everyone's delight, Indian Men's Hockey Team Captain Harmanpreet Singh and Chief Coach Craig Fulton even tried their hand at raiding. The fun-inducing and engaging exchange was full of banter, camaraderie and brought smiles across both teams, as the hockey team enjoyed the challenge of a new sport following an intense training session on the turf. Hockey India Names Harmanpreet Singh-Led Indian Men’s Hockey Team for Tour of Australia.

Both teams are currently preparing for their upcoming challenges: the Indian Men's Hockey Team for their Australia tour and the Asia Cup, and the Gujarat Giants for the new PKL season. The session concluded with an exchange of jerseys as a gesture of mutual respect. Gujarat Giants, who are currently having their pre-season camp at Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence, Bengaluru, will begin their PKL campaign against U Mumba on August 30 in Vizag. (ANI)

(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)