Millers Oils team sponsor of Manchester Raiders for the British Kabaddi League 2022

Millers Oils is proud announce that the company will be a team sponsor at the British Kabaddi League 2022, sponsoring Manchester Raiders. We will have more information to follow up in the next coming week.

Millers Oils are thrilled to not only be the official sponsor for the team, but to support Kishan Mistry, our Industrial Sales Engineer, and captain of Manchester Raiders.

Our marketing team had five minutes with Kishan, to find out more information on the sport, and to delve into the life of Kishan as a Kabaddi player, not a Millers Oils employee.

Here’s how it went…

What is Kabaddi and where does it originate from?
Kabaddi is a traditional Asian sport, over 4000 years old, which is a mix between human dodgeball, bulldogs charge and wrestling where two teams of seven go against each other. The aim of the game is to score the most amount of points in order to win. Kabaddi originates from India and is played throughout the country. It is a fundamental part of the South Asian community. The sport is popular in the Asian Games, a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. In terms of levels you can play at, there is community on a local basis, university, at a more competitive level and nationally such as playing for England in international tournaments.

How did you get into the sport and what motivated you to get involved?
I first got into Kabaddi at the young age of around five or six and more seriously in my teens. As part of the charity HSS UK (Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK) we had a Friday youth club that I played at. I saw some of the older members taking part and it appealed to me from there. Initially, I wasn’t the biggest fan, coming home with cuts and bruises but as I became more experienced, I started to take it within my stride. As I grew more experienced and started to compete at age 14-15, I started to feel that I was getting quite good at the sport. At age 16 I was scouted by the England team and invited to attend the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup. I attended my first international tournament shortly after visiting Singapore and Malaysia which really opened my eyes to the different people and cultures throughout the world. I would have to say the adrenaline that’s involved in the sport also drew me in. The fear of the unknown can be used to help channel the feeling or excitement and something new.

How do you feel about Millers Oils sponsoring the British Kabaddi League?
I am delighted about Millers Oils sponsoring the club and it gives me immense pride to have the company’s support as Kabaddi becomes a professional sport in the UK. It’s also a great opportunity for the business to get involved in SUPPORTING to the community.

In your opinion, what are the qualities necessary to excel in Kabaddi?
For this sport you need to be level headed and have speed, agility, spatial awareness, strength and stamina. All of these qualities are important to build for your own personal development, and playing a sport that helps to aid these is a great step in the right direction.

What are some of the positive impacts that Kabaddi has had on you?
Some positive impacts include that I have been fortunate enough to travel all over the world taking part in international competitions and tournaments. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting lots of different people from all walks of life. In doing so you get real exposure to different cultures and I have stayed in contact with people from countries such as Singapore, Taiwan and New Zealand.

How do you fit Kabaddi into your schedule and balance work life?
Currently we train twice a week. Outside of this, I train at the gym regularly to keep on top of personal strength and development. Our club has a fitness plan that we put together to help individuals keep fit and healthy.

Finally, some quick fire questions, to be answered as fast as you can…

How do your teammates make practice fun?
We always set ourselves goals, at the end of the session if we don’t achieve them we have to do forfeits, this brings us closer together as team and shows we don’t take ourselves too seriously.

What is your favourite sports quote?
In unity there is strength!

How does being an athlete make you a better person?
Being a kabaddi player brings discipline into everyday life therefore allowing me to be the best version of myself.

What is your favourite food to eat the night before a big competition?
Pasta, I always carb load before a big game day to ensure I am ready and energised for the game.

Keep your eye out across our socials over the next few weeks to find out more information on the fixtures, which will be featured live on BBC.