Kabaddi World Cup 2016: Raider Nitin Tomar can help India score bonus points with timely cameos

Name: Nitin Tomar Age: 21 Position: Raider Key move: Nitin Tomar’s special move is the toe touch. With agile leg movements, Tomar is a real threat for corner defenders, who have often become victims of the lethal move. The Services raider’s key strength also lies in coming away with bonus points at crucial junctures, thus keeping the scoreboard ticking with minimal risk of getting caught. Past record: Tomar has impressed in his two seasons in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), averaging 55 raid points per season. [caption id=“attachment_3032164” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Nitin Tomar. Image courtesy: Star Sports[/caption] Even before featuring in the PKL, Tomar had made a name for himself with his exploits for the Services kabaddi team. So there was little surprise that Bengal Warriors, who were struggling in the raiding department, snapped up Tomar when the Services players were up for grabs and the navy man delivered almost instantly. The Warriors, who had finished at the foot end of the table in the opening two editions, hit the ground running in the third season, with newcomer Tomar leading from the front. He took the league by storm and propelled the Warriors to their first ever semi-final appearance despite a stutter in the middle of the season. The strong raider from Uttar Pradesh thus became a household name, and a nightmare for defenders. A move to Puneri Paltan in season four didn’t bring him the success that he had had with the Warriors, but the 21-year-old impressed during cameo appearances for the Pune outfit as they ended the season with a respectable third-place finish. Nitin Tomar was born in a sport-loving family in Malakhpur village of Uttar Pradesh. His paternal uncles – Ashok and Parhlad Tomar – were international wrestlers, but the young Nitin was attracted to kabaddi right from his school days. Nitin Tomar joined the Indian Navy subsequently, but always found time for kabaddi, in spite of  dedicating his heart and soul to military service. Under coach Naveen Kumar, the burly raider sharpened his skills and now he is part of the Indian national team that is red-hot favourite to win the Kabaddi World Cup. Although Tomar will have to overcome tough competition to find a place in the starting seven, his energy and ability to score bonus points will always keep him in the scheme of things. Watch out for little cameos from this top Indian raider. With inputs from Star Sports.