Iranian players return to action in Pro Kabaddi after visa issues sorted: Report
Mohammadreza Shadloui, Fazel Atrachali, and Mohammad Esmail Nabibaksh are among the stars who were absent in the fixtures that had been played in the first week.
Iranian players will be in action this week in Pro Kabaddi after they missed out on the start of the tournament due to visa issues. Mohammadreza Shadloui, Fazel Atrachali, and Mohammad Esmail Nabibaksh are among the stars who were absent in the fixtures that had been played in the first week.
Shadloui, who was the Patna Pirates' best defender last season, put up a story on his Instagram handle saying: "I will be in tomorrow's game and we will show the strength of the Pirates team." Shadloui, Fazel and Nabibakhsh had come to India last month for the teams' pre-season camps but had to return as they were on a tourist visa, which does not allow them to compete in international tournaments.
According to ESPN, the players were flown to Colombo in Sri Lanka over the weekend due to the unavailability of direct flights from Iran to India. All the players were reportedly put up in the same hotel and the teams even booked a dummy return tickets back to Iran as a contingency plan. However, the Sri Lankan Kabaddi Federation offered support and the players got their visas.
The league started on October 7, with the first leg being played in Bengaluru. Dabang Delhi faced U Mumba in the first match omn Day 1 after which Bengaluru Bulls beat Telugu Titans. The Jaipur Pink Panthers lost 32-34 to UP Yoddhas in the final match of the opening day.
On Wednesday, the Bengal Warriors picked up their second consecutive victory after taking down Bengaluru Bulls 42-33. Dabang Delhi KC launched a stunning second half comeback to snatch victory against UP Yoddhas 44-42 at the Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium.
