Manjeet Chhillar Biography: The Untamed Warrior of Kabaddi

Fondly (and aptly) called One Man Army, Manjeet Chhillar is a former professional kabaddi player, who has time and again brought glory to his team. Whether it is the Indian National Team or his team in Pro Kabaddi League, Manjeet has emerged as one of the most valuable players in the squad. He has been a part of the gold-winning team at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup and the two-time gold-winning team at the Asian Games. Of course, this amazing journey was not without any obstacles. So, today we discover some known and unknown facets of Manjeet Chhillar’s life story.

Manjeet Chhillar Bio

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How It All Began

Haryana has a tradition of producing talented wrestlers. Manjeet was another wrestler emerging from the state. However, sometimes bad things happen to derail you from the wrong path and lead you to the right one. Manjeet injured his nose very badly and came back to his village. He started playing kabaddi with local kids and soon found his calling. Though a kabaddi star was born accidentally, he shone with his hard work, talent, and determination.

Indian National Kabaddi Team

Manjeet made his professional debut at the 2010 Asian Games. And what a debut it was! He was a part of the gold medal-winning team. The feat was repeated at the next edition of the games in 2014. At both editions, the men’s kabaddi team showed class and domination. Manjeet played a key part in both the tournaments.

He won gold medals at the National Championships in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Manjeet was also a part of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup-winning team. He was the deputy captain of the team. The kabaddi champion was a part of the winning team at the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters.

Chhillar was not a part of the 2018 Asian Games team. The team lost to Iran in a heartbreaking match. Though Chhillar was confident of the team’s capabilities, he had warned them about the strong competition by Iran.

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The Journey at Pro Kabaddi League

Manjeet started his Pro Kabbadi League innings with Bengaluru Bulls. He was happy to be part of a league that gives kabaddi players a platform to showcase their skills and win recognition. He played for many teams in Pro Kabaddi League.

In season 2, he became the Star Sports Defender of the Tournament by winning 51 points for his team, Bengaluru Bulls. He also holds the record of being the highest scoring defender in PKL. He was declared as the most valuable player in Pro Kabaddi League season 2. Bengaluru Bulls paid a whopping 10 lakhs for him, but his performance was worth every penny for them.

Manjeet is also the only player to be featured in both, the top 10 best raiders and defenders list at the same time. In 2017, he was bought for a whopping Rs 75.5 lakhs by the Abhishek Bachchan-owned team Jaipur Pink Panthers. The price once again proved his mettle and value.

In Season 6 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Manjeet Chhillar joined the Tamil Thalaivas after being picked by the Tamil Nadu-based franchise. He quickly established himself as a defensive leader, accumulating an impressive tally of 59 tackle points along with 8 raid points. Continuing with the Thalaivas in Season 7, Manjeet contributed 37 tackle points and 4 raid points to the team’s campaign.

Moving on to Season 8, Manjeet was acquired by Dabang Delhi for Rs 20 lakh in the auction. His presence proved valuable as he played a crucial role in helping the team secure its first-ever title. Throughout the season, he showcased his skills by scoring 52 tackle points from 24 games.

After the conclusion of Season 8, Manjeet announced his retirement from professional kabaddi and transitioned into the role of assistant coach for the Telugu Titans.

Manjeet Chhillar Family

Manjeet Chillar’s father, Jai Prakash, was working with the Haryana Police. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2012. His mother is a homemaker. He has three brothers, Sandeep, Ashish, and Virender Chhillar.

Manjeet Chhillar Controversies

Manjeet Chhillar was awarded a cash prize of 2 crores by the Haryana Government, along with Rakesh Kumar after the Incheon Games. Both had presented documents stating that they were residents of Haryana. As per the state government’s criteria, the person should be a resident of the state for at least 15 years. As per Manjeet’s Arjuna award form, he was a resident of Delhi. It was confirmed that both players are not domiciled residents of Haryana and declared that they have cheated the government.

“I have ordered a vigilance inquiry to conduct in-depth probe into the incident in which two Kabaddi players, one of which was an Arjuna Awardee, have claimed a Rs 2 crore award from Haryana government. But our departmental inquiry found that they were not residents of Haryana,” Haryana Sports Minister Anil Vij told PTI.

Facts about Manjeet Chhillar

Nothing is impossible for Manjeet. In order to be eligible for the junior national team, he lost 12 kg in a month. The selection criteria stated that the weight should be 50 kg and Manjeet weighed 62 kg. With a strict diet and extensive training, Manjeet shed the excess weight and qualified.

The kabaddi player is talented off the field as well. Manjeet is very fashion conscious and spends a lot of time choosing his outfits! His national teammates fondly call him Fashion Freak! It isn’t surprising then, that his favorite hobby is shopping!

Manjeet Chillar Awards

Arjuna Award, 2015

Manjeet Chillar Achievements

Kabaddi World Cup

Dubai Kabaddi Masters

Manjeet Chillar Instagram

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