Haridwar, April 4 (IANS) Lokesh Ghosliya, from Jaipur, began playing kabaddi in 2016 after watching his elder brother participate in local tournaments. He played the sport for a few months, but his family did not support him and opposed his involvement in it.
They prevented him from playing for about 6-7 months. During this time, he focused entirely on his studies. However, he resumed playing kabaddi during summer vacations.
“I used to watch my elder brother play kabaddi for fun. Then, I started going to the stadium regularly and learned the sport,” Lokesh said.
“Initially, I didn’t get support from my family, and after playing for 3-4 months, they stopped me from continuing. I began playing the sport again during school summer vacation, and my family started supporting me after they saw me compete in district and state-level tournaments,” he added.
The 19-year-old made his Yuva Kabaddi Series debut with Aravalli Arrows during the Summer Edition in 2022. He earned 81 points from 30 matches during his maiden season in the Yuva Kabaddi Series.
Lokesh was an integral part of the Aravalli Arrows team for four editions, representing the club in Summer Edition 2022, Monsoon Edition 2022, Winter Edition 2022, and Monsoon Edition 2023. He also played for the Periyar Panthers in the Summer Edition 2023.
Lokesh represented Yuva Mumba in the Yuva All Stars Championship 2025 and finished the season with 68 points from 18 matches. Overall, he has earned 485 points from 144 matches across six editions of the Yuva Kabaddi Series. Lokesh made his way into the Pro Kabaddi League after exceptional performances in the YKS over two years.
“The Yuva Kabaddi Series has played an instrumental role in shaping my career and guiding me into the Pro Kabaddi League. It was an excellent opportunity for me to participate in the early editions of the Yuva Kabaddi Series and find my way into the PKL,” Lokesh opened up about the role of YKS in his career.
The Jaipur-born player was all praise for the Yuva Kabaddi Series format and credited the league for his success and improvement. He also shed light on the importance of match time for players to work on their weaknesses and get better as players.
“National tournaments have only 3-4 matches, whereas YKS features numerous matches and provides players the chance to perform and attract the attention of PKL coaches and scouts. The advantage of participating in YKS is that each team plays several matches in a single edition, facing various teams and players. This experience helped me gain valuable insights and learn from my mistakes. The league also allowed me to improve in areas where I was lacking.”
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