Fazel Atrachali

Some Lesser Known Facts About Fazel Atrachali

• Fazel Atrachali is an Iranian Kabaddi player who is considered one of the most successful defenders. He has served as the captain of the Iran national team in international competitions and U Mumba, Puneri Paltan, and Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). He has won PKL seasons twice, in 2015 (Season 2) and 2016 (Season 4).

• He started wrestling in his village at the age of seven with his friends; however,  when his wrestling coach left the village, he started playing as a goalkeeper and defender in football.

  

• He started playing Kabaddi when he was eleven as he did not like football. He was later selected for the junior team of Iran and went on to play for the senior team as well.
  

  

  

  

• He represented Iran in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, and led them in 2014, 2018, and 2022 Asian Games held in Incheon (South Korea), Jakarta-Palembang (Indonesia), and Hangzhou (China) respectively.
  

  

  

• He played in the 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games held in Incheon, South Korea. In the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup held in Ahmedabad, India, he was the captain of the Iranian team which was defeated by India in the final.
  

  

  

• His team was eliminated in the semifinals of the 2017 Asian Kabaddi Championship held in Gorgan, Iran, and in the final of the 2023 Asian Kabaddi Championship held in Busan, South Korea, he lost to India. He also played in a Beach Kabaddi Championship.
  

  

  

• In 2015, U Mumba acquired Fazel Atrachali for Rs 4 lakhs for Season 2 and retained him for Season 3 in 2016. On 4 August 2015, he played his debut match in the second season of the Pro Kabaddi League for U Mumba against Dabang Delhi at G. M. C. Balayogi Indoor Stadium, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, India; in 2015, he won the Pro Kabaddi title in his debut season.
  

  

  

• In 2017, he was acquired by Patna Pirates for Rs 38 lakhs for PKL season 4. In 2018, Gujarat Fortune Giants acquired him for Rs 55 lakhs for Season 5. In 2019, U Mumba acquired him for Rs 1 crore in Season 6, and retained him for Rs 1.10 crore for Season 7 in 2020, and Rs. 1.21 crore for Season 8 in 2021-22.
  

  

  

• In 2022, Puneri Paltan acquired him for Rs 1.38 crores in season 9. Atrachali was acquired by Gujarat Giants for Rs 1.60 crore for Season 10 in 2023-24. He has served as captain of U Mumba, Puneri Paltan, and Gujarat Giants in different PKL seasons.
  

  

  

• He has captained the Golestan team in the Iran Champions League (later titled Iran Premier Kabaddi League) which they won in 2018.

  

• Fazel used to work as a Blacksmith in the early 2010s as he earned very little by playing Kabaddi. He earned around Rs 20,000 per month from his job as a blacksmith.

  

• Atrachali said in an interview that he wanted to be a fireman as he did not like a 9-5 job. He has not taken up any job despite receiving many job offers from several companies. He kept playing Kabaddi as he could not clear the exams for the position of fireman.

• Fazel Atrachali once said that his childhood inspiration was the former Iranian captain and coach Gholamreza Mazandarani who lived in Fazel’s neighbourhood and later became the coach of Fazel.
  

  

  

• Atrachali once said that no raider can match his power as his strong point is his body strength.

• He prepares for a Kabaddi match by watching videos of opposition players, making strategies against them, and practising according to their rivals.

• He does weightlifting, swimming, rope workouts, stair climbs, and plays football to remain fit. ^[2]YouTube – U Mumba
  

  

  

• He often keeps his weight between 75 to 90 kg as the weight limit for international Kabaddi players is 80 kg and in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) is 85 kg.

• In an interview, he said that he gives training jerseys and free shoes to local players in his city to help them pursue the game of Kabaddi.

• Fazel Atrachali likes firearms and has a rifle.

  

• He is fond of dogs and owns a pet dog.