Gujarat Giants (kabaddi)

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Gujarat Giants.

Gujarat Giants
Full nameGujarat Giants
Short nameGiants
SportKabaddi
Founded2017 (2017)
First season2017
Last season2023
LeaguePro Kabaddi League
Based inAhmedabad
StadiumEKA Arena by TransStadia (4,000)
Colors  
AnthemGarjega Gujarat
OwnerAdani Wilmar Ltd.
Head coachRam Mehar Singh
CaptainFazel Atrachali[1]
Websitegujaratgiants.com
Uniforms


Home


Away

Gujarat Giants, formerly Gujarat Fortune Giants, is a professional kabaddi team based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, competing in the Pro Kabaddi League. Owned by the sports arm of the Adani Group - Adani Sportsline, Gujarat Giants joined the league in 2017. The team, currently led by Iranian defender Fazel Atrachali and coached by Ram Mehar Singh, plays home matches at The Arena by TransStadia[2]. They made it to the finals in their first two seasons, in 2017 and 2018, finishing as runners-up both times. Despite a strong come-back, they were eliminated in the playoffs of PKL Season X by Haryana Steelers in the Eliminator.[3]

Team identity[edit]

Name[edit]

Gujarat Giants was known as Gujarat Fortune Giants before season 8. Fortune word represented Adani's Adani Wilmar (Fortune) Brand.

Logo and mascot[edit]

The Gujarat Giants' logo depicts a muscular Giant in a red 'dhoti' with a 'tilak' on his forehead. This represents the team's values of power, strength, and energy, which are crucial in Kabaddi.[4]

Anthem[edit]

The current anthem, "Garjega Gujarat," was sung by Daler Mehandi and Gujarati folk singer Aditya Gadhvi. [5]

Team History[edit]

2017[edit]

Gujarat Giants entered the Pro Kabaddi League in the 2017 season under the name Gujarat Fortune Giants. In the fifth season of the league, the Giants were the first team to qualify with a record of 15 wins in 22 games. They swiftly made their way to the finals of the tournament. However, despite their strong performance, they faced defeat at the hands of Patna Pirates, losing 38-55 in the final. Notable players in their lineup included Fazel Atrachali, a key defender, and Abozar Mighani, their most expensive overseas pick in the auction. Additionally, the team bolstered its roster by adding Sukesh Hegde, further strengthening their lineup.[6] [7]

During their inaugural season, individual performances also stood out for the Giants. Sachin emerged as their top raider, making 132 successful raids in 32 games. Meanwhile, Abozar Mighani led the team in successful tackles with 63 in 24 games. Fazel Atrachali achieved the most High 5s for the Giants, securing four in 24 matches. Sachin's notable performance in Qualifier 1, where he earned 9 points against Bengal Warriors, played a key role in Gujarat Giants reaching the final.[8][9]

Gujarat Giants Season 5 squad[10]

Name Position
Fazel Atrachali Defender
Abozar Mighani Defender
Sukesh Hegde Raider
Seong Ryeol Kim All-rounder
Mahipal Narwal All-rounder
Mahendra Ganesh Rajput Raider
C Kalai Arasan Defender
Rohit Gulia All-rounder
Vikas Kale Defender
Manoj Kumar Defender
Amit Rathi Raider
Sachin Raider
Parvesh Bhainswal Defender
Sunil Kumar Defender
Sultan Dange Raider
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat Raider
Rakesh Narwal Raider
Chandran Ranjit Raider

2018[edit]

In season 6, the Gujarat Giants made Sunil Kumar[11] their captain and decided not to retain Fazel Atrachali. Despite this change, they continued to excel, as they became the first team to qualify for the Playoffs with 17 wins out of 22 matches. Once again, they advanced to the finals but faced defeat against the Bengaluru Bulls in Mumbai. Their journey to the final saw them triumph over the UP Yoddhas in Qualifier 1.[12]

Sachin carried forward his form from season 5, emerging as the top raider for the Giants with 159 successful raids in 23 games[13]. He also amassed the most raid points for the team, totaling 190 points, and achieved the most Super 10s with 7 [14]. Sachin's contributions earned him a total of 204 points, the highest among all Gujarat Giants players that season.[15]

On the defensive front, Parvesh Bhainswal had 82 successful tackles in 25 games[16] - the most by a Gujarat Giants player. Bhainswal also secured 5 High 5s during the season. His tally of 86 tackle points ranked him second-highest across the league.[17]

Gujarat Giants Season 6 squad[18]

Name Position
Sunil Kumar Defender
C. Kalai Arasan Defender
Amit Vikram Kandola Defender
Parvesh Bhainswal Defender
Sachin Vittala Defender
Amit Jaivir Sharma Defender
Dharmender Raider
Yashwant Bishnoi Raider
Shubham Ashok Palkar Raider
Ajay Kumar Raider
K. Prapanjan Raider
Dong Geon Lee Raider
Lalit Chaudhary Raider
Mahendra Ganesh Rajput Raider
Sachin Raider
Rohit Gulia All-rounder
Hadi Oshtorak All-rounder
Anil All-rounder

2019[edit]

In the seventh season of the Pro Kabaddi League, Gujarat Giants, led by Sunil Kumar, finished in 9th place[19]. Out of the 22 games they played, they managed to secure victory in 7 matches. Their last game of the season saw them defeat the Telugu Titans with a scoreline of 48-38. Despite starting the tournament strong with three consecutive wins, they faced a setback by losing six games in a row thereafter. This inconsistency led to them missing out on the playoffs for the first time since their entry into the PKL.[20]

Rohit Gulia emerged as the top raider for the Gujarat Giants, accumulating 132 raid points across 22 games[21]. He also notched up the most Super 10s for the team[22], achieving this feat four times during the season. Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar secured six Super Tackles in 18 games, highlighting his contribution to the team's defensive strategy.[23]

Gujarat Giants Season 7 squad[24]

Name Position
Sachin Tanwar Raider
Sunil Kumar Defender
Lalit Chaudhary Raider
Rohit Gulia All-rounder
Parvesh Bhainswal Defender
Ruturaj Koravi Defender
Vinod Kumar All-rounder
Abolfazl Maghsoudloumahali Raider
Gurvinder Singh Raider
Sonu Gahlawat Defender
GB More Raider
Sonu Raider
Abhishek Raider
Pankaj All-Rounder
Amit Defender
Mohammad Shazid Hossain All-rounder

2021-2022[edit]

The 8th season of the Pro Kabaddi League faced a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, eventually starting in December 2021 with a match between Bengaluru Bulls and U Mumba. For Gujarat Giants, it was a season of redemption after their absence from the playoffs in 2019. They made a strong comeback, winning 10 out of 22 games to secure a playoff spot. However, their journey in the playoffs was cut short when they were defeated by the Bengaluru Bulls in the Eliminator 2. [25]

Despite missing key players like Rohit Gulia and Sachin Tanwar, the Giants managed to maintain a competitive edge by retaining Parvesh Bhainswal and Sunil Kumar from the previous season. Bhainswal emerged as a standout performer, leading the team in tackle points with 56 in 23 games and recording the most Super Tackles with 10[26]. Additionally, Girish Maruti Ernak, brought in during the auction ahead of the season, showcased his defense, securing the most high 5s for the Giants, totaling 4 throughout the season.[27]

Gujarat Giants Season 8 squad[28]

Name Position
Harmanjit Singh Raider
Sonu Raider
Sonu Singh Raider
Rathan K Raider
Maninder Singh Raider
Harshit Yadav Raider
Pardeep Kumar Raider
Ajay Kumar Raider
Gaurav Chhikara Raider
Rakesh Raider
Sohit Raider
Mahendra Rajput Raider
Soleiman Pahlevani Defender
Parvesh Bhainswal Defender
Ankit Defender
Sunil Kumar Defender
Sumit Defender
Girish Ernak Defender
Ravinder Pahal Defender
Hadi Oshtorak All-rounder

2022-23[edit]

Ahead of the 9th season of the Pro Kabaddi League, the Gujarat Giants made strategic moves by replacing Manpreet Singh with Ram Mehar Singh as their coach. Ram Mehar Singh had earlier guided the Patna Pirates to victory in season 5, and brought valuable experience to the team. Additionally, Ram Mehar Singh's recognition as an Arjuna Award recipient for his gold-medal-winning performances at the 1998 and 2002 Asian Games added further credibility to his coaching skills.[29] Chandran Ranjit was entrusted with the captaincy.

The Giants commenced their season with a draw against the Tamil Thalaivas. During the Bengaluru leg, they secured 3 wins but also faced 3 losses. However, their campaign hit a snag when captain Chandran sustained an injury, resulting in Dong Geon Lee stepping in as the stand-in captain. Despite this setback, the team persevered, albeit facing a challenging final leg where they suffered 4 consecutive losses. However, they finished the season on a positive note, clinching 4 wins and a draw in their last 5 matches. Ultimately, they secured the 8th position in the points table with 9 wins out of 22 games.[30]

Parteek Dahiya emerged as the top scorer for the Giants, amassing an impressive total of 183 points. Rakesh contributed significantly with 131 points before his injury sidelined him. Despite his injury, Chandran Ranjit managed to rack up 95 raid points. Notably, the Giants had the best raid percentage (44.92%) in the tournament. On the defensive front, Rinku Narwal had 38 tackle points.[31]

Gujarat Giants Season 9 squad[32]

Name Position
Dong Geon Lee Raider
Chandran Ranjit Raider
Pardeep Kumar Raider
Rakesh Raider
Mahendra Ganesh Rajput Raider
Purna Singh Raider
Sawin Raider
Sonu Raider
Gaurav Chhikara Raider
Parteek Dahiya Raider
Sohit Raider
Sonu Singh Raider
Rinku Narwal Defender
Sandeep Kandola Defender
Young Chang Ko Defender
Baldev Singh Defender
Ujjval Singh Defender
Sourav Gulia Defender
Manuj Vinod Kumar Defender
Shankar Bhimraj All-rounder
Arkam Shaikh All-rounder
Gadai Rohan Singh All-rounder

2023-24[edit]

The Gujarat Giants approached the season with a mix of retained and a number of high-profile picks at the auction. Having retained core players like Manuj, Sonu Jaglan, Rakesh Sungroya, Rohan Singh, and Parteek Dahiya, they bolstered the squad by acquiring defender Fazel Atrachali, a former Giant himself, for a significant amount of 1.80 crore. They re-signed players like Arkam Shaikh and Rohit Gulia, along with adding new talents such as Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, Sombir, Deepak Singh, Balaji D, Vikas Jaglan, and Sourav Gulia.[33]

The Giants started their season on a promising note, securing three consecutive victories. However, they encountered a rough patch with three consecutive losses. They staged a comeback by winning their next three matches. Despite facing intermittent setbacks, including two losses in their subsequent three games, they maintained their focus and eventually found their stride towards the end of the season. Their performance in the latter stages, where they clinched victory in four consecutive matches helped them reach the Playoffs.[34]

In terms of individual performances, Fazel Atrachali made history by becoming the first defender in the league to surpass 450 tackle points. Sombir contributed significantly to the team's defensive efforts, registering 52 tackle points, including eight Super Tackles and four High 5s. Meanwhile, Deepak Singh had 43 tackle points in just 14 games, highlighting his impact despite limited appearances.[35]

On the raiding front, Parteek Dahiya delivered a standout performance by setting a new record for the most raid points in a single game, amassing a total of 22 points against the Bengal Warriors[36]. Throughout the season, he accumulated 130 raid points in 20 games, featuring nine Super Raids and six Super 10s, while Sonu and Rakesh Sungroya also made notable contributions.

Current Squad[37]

Name Position
Arkam Shaikh All-rounder
Mohammad Nabibakhsh All-rounder
Jitender Yadav All-rounder
Rohan Singh All-rounder
Rohit Gulia All-rounder
Vikash Jaglan All-rounder
Nitin Jaglan Raider
Parteek Dahiya Raider
Rakesh Sungroya Raider
Sonu Jaglan Raider
Deepak Singh Defender
Ravi Kumar Raider
Fazel Atrachali Defender
Manuj Defender
Sombir Defender
Balaji D Defender
Narender Hooda Defender
Sourav Gulia Defender
Jagdeep Raider
GB More Raider

Note: GB More was ruled out ahead of the 10th season of the Pro Kabaddi League.

Seasons[edit]

Season V[edit]

Main article: 2017 Pro Kabaddi League season

The teams are divided into two zones with each zone having six teams based on their geographical proximity. Each team will play 15 intra-zonal matches and 7 inter-zonal matches.
Zone A

Team
Pld W L D SD Pts
Gujarat Fortune Giants (R) 22 15 4 3 126 87
Puneri Paltan 22 15 7 0 91 80
Haryana Steelers 22 13 5 4 40 79
U Mumba 22 10 12 0 -50 56
Jaipur Pink Panthers 22 8 13 1 -91 51
Dabang Delhi KC 22 5 16 1 -134 29

Zone B

Team Pld W L D SD Pts
Bengal Warriors 22 11 5 6 19 77
Patna Pirates (C) 22 10 7 5 60 71
UP Yoddha 22 8 10 4 2 60
Bengaluru Bulls 22 8 11 3 10 57
Telugu Titans 22 7 12 3 -2 52
Tamil Thalaivas 22 6 14 2 -71 46

Source: ProKabaddi

  •   advanced to Qualifier 1
  •   advanced to Eliminators
  • Five (5) points for a win
  • Three (3) points each for a drawn game
  • One (1) point for a loss by 7 points or fewer

Season VI[edit]

Main article: 2018_Pro_Kabaddi_League_season

The teams are divided into two zones with each zone having six teams based on their geographical proximity. Each team will play 15 intra-zonal matches and 7 inter-zonal matches.
Zone A

Team Pld W L D SD Pts
Gujarat Fortune Giants (R) 22 17 3 2 117 93
U Mumba 22 15 5 2 189 86
Dabang Delhi KC 22 11 9 2 -1 68
Puneri Paltan 22 8 12 2 -45 52
Jaipur Pink Panthers 22 6 13 3 -69 43
Haryana Steelers 22 6 14 2 -91 42

Zone B

Team Pld W L D SD Pts
Bengaluru Bulls (C) 22 13 7 2 104 78
Bengal Warriors 22 12 8 2 2 69
UP Yoddha 22 8 10 4 -45 57
Patna Pirates 22 9 11 2 -36 55
Telugu Titans 22 8 13 1 -55 51
Tamil Thalaivas 22 5 13 4 -70 42

Source: ProKabaddi

  •   advanced to Qualifier 1
  •   advanced to Eliminators
  • Five (5) points for a win
  • Three (3) points each for a drawn game
  • One (1) point for a loss by 7 points or fewer
  • Top three teams from each zone qualify for the playoffs

Season VII[edit]

Main article: 2019 Pro Kabaddi League season
Team Pld W L D SD Pts
Dabang Delhi KC (R) 22 15 4 3 66 85
Bengal Warriors (C) 22 14 5 3 71 83
UP Yoddha 22 13 7 2 9 74
U Mumba 22 12 8 2 47 72
Haryana Steelers 22 13 8 1 15 71
Bengaluru Bulls 22 11 10 1 16 64
Jaipur Pink Panthers 22 9 11 2 -13 58
Patna Pirates 22 8 13 1 29 51
Gujarat Forunte Giants 22 7 13 2 18 51
Puneri Paltan 22 7 12 3 -72 48
Telugu Titans 22 6 13 3 -67 45
Tamil Thalaivas 22 4 15 3 -119 37

Source: ProKabaddi

  •   advanced to Finals
  •   advanced to Eliminators
  • Five (5) points for a win
  • Three (3) points each for a drawn game
  • One (1) point for a loss by 7 points or fewer
  • Top 6 teams qualify for the playoffs


Season VIII[edit]

Main article: 2021–22 Pro Kabaddi League


Pos Team
 Pld W L T SD Pts
1 Patna Pirates (R) 22 16 5 1 120 86 Qualification to semi finals
2 Dabang Delhi (C) 22 12 6 4 -3 75
3 UP Yoddha 22 10 9 3 33 68 Qualification to eliminators
4 Gujarat Giants 22 10 8 4 2 67
5 Bengaluru Bulls 22 11 9 2 53 66
6 Puneri Paltan 22 12 9 1 33 66
7 Haryana Steelers 22 10 9 3 -28 64
8 Jaipur Pink Panthers 22 10 10 2 14 63
9 Bengal Warriors 22 9 10 3 -18 57
10 U Mumba 22 7 10 5 -34 55
11 Tamil Thalaivas 22 5 11 6 -42 47
12 Telugu Titans 22 1 17 4 -130 27
Updated to match(es) played on 25 February 2022. Source: ProKabaddi
(C) Champion; (R) Runners Up
  • Five (5) points for a win
  • Three (3) points each for a drawn game
  • One (1) point for a loss by 7 points or fewer


Season IX[edit]

Main article: 2022 Pro Kabaddi League season


Pos Team
 Pld W L T SD Pts
1 Jaipur Pink Panthers (C) 22 15 6 1 174 82 Qualification to semi finals
2 Puneri Paltan (R) 22 14 6 2 66 80
3 Bengaluru Bulls 22 13 8 1 39 74 Qualification to eliminators
4 UP Yoddha 22 12 8 2 42 71
5 Tamil Thalaivas 22 10 8 4 5 66
6 Dabang Delhi 22 10 10 2 17 63
7 Haryana Steelers 22 10 10 2 16 61
8 Gujarat Giants 22 9 11 2 -16 59
9 U Mumba 22 10 12 0 -28 56
10 Patna Pirates 22 8 11 3 -58 54
11 Bengal Warriors 22 8 11 3 -12 53
12 Telugu Titans 22 2 20 0 -245 15
Source: ProKabaddi
(C) Champion; (R) Runners Up
  • 5 points for a win
  • 3 points for a tied game
  • 1 point for a loss by 7 points or fewer


Season X[edit]

Main article: 2023-24 Pro Kabaddi League
Pos Team
 Pld W L T SD Pts
1 Puneri Paltan (C) 22 17 2 3 253 96 Qualification to semi finals
2 Jaipur Pink Panthers 22 16 3 3 141 92
3 Dabang Delhi 22 13 6 3 53 79 Qualification to eliminators
4 Gujarat Giants 22 13 9 0 32 70
5 Haryana Steelers (R) 22 13 8 1 -13 70
6 Patna Pirates 22 11 8 3 50 69
7 Bengal Warriors 22 9 11 2 -43 55
8 Bengaluru Bulls 22 8 12 2 -67 53
9 Tamil Thalaivas 22 9 13 0 32 51
10 U Mumba 22 6 13 3 -79 45
11 UP Yoddhas 22 4 17 1 -116 31
12 Telugu Titans 22 2 19 1 -243 21
Source: ProKabaddi
Rules for classification:
  • 5 points for a win
  • 3 points for a tied game
  • 1 point for a loss by 7 points or fewer

(C) Champion; (R) Runners Up

Records[edit]

Overall results Pro Kabaddi season[edit]

Seasons Total Wins Tied Losses Position
Season 5 24 16 3 5 1
Season 6 25 18 2 5 1
Season 7 22 7 2 13 8
Season 8 22 10 8 4 4
Season 9 22 9 2 11 8
Season 10 22 13 0 9 4

By opposition[edit]

Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Opposition Played Won Lost Drawn % Win
Bengal Warriors 10 4 4 2 40%
Bengaluru Bulls 12 6 5 1 50%
Dabang Delhi 13 5 6 2 38.5%
Haryana Steelers 13 4 8 1 30.8%
Jaipur Pink Panthers 13 6 5 2 46.2%
Patna Pirates 12 6 6 0 50%
Puneri Paltan 13 8 4 1 61.5%
Tamil Thalaivas 9 5 3 1 55.6%
Telugu Titans 10 9 1 0 90%
U Mumba 13 8 4 1 61.5%
UP Yoddhas 10 6 2 2 60%
Total 128 67 48 13 52.3%

Sponsors[edit]

Year Season Kit Manufacturer Main Sponsor Back Sponsor Sleeve Sponsor
2017 V Shiv-Naresh Adani Simpolo Fogg
2018 VI Fru2go Johnson Tiles Adani
2019 VII Finolex Fortune
2021 VIII WinZO Astral
2022 IX 1xBat Ambuja Cements
2023 X ACC Fortune

References[edit]

  1. ^ "VIVO PKL 2018 AUCTION: BUILDING A TEAM THE 'MONEYBALL' WAY".
  2. ^ https://www.gujaratgiants.com/about-us
  3. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/standings
  4. ^ https://www.gujaratgiants.com/pro-kabaddi
  5. ^ https://www.gujaratgiants.com/pro-kabaddi/videos/garjegagujarat-official-anthem-video-for-the-pro-kabaddi-league-season-10
  6. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/standings
  7. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/schedule-fixtures-results
  8. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/8-23-player-successful-tackles-statistics
  9. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/8-101-high-5s-statistics
  10. ^ https://www.sportskeeda.com/kabaddi/gujarat-team-players-for-pro-kabaddi-2017-season-5
  11. ^ https://www.business-standard.com/article/sports/pkl-2018-sunil-kumar-to-lead-gujarat-fortunegiants-squad-in-sixth-season-118100101083_1.html
  12. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/standings
  13. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/10-22-player-raid-points-statistics
  14. ^ https://prokabaddi.com/stats/10-100-super-10s-statistics
  15. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/10-22-player-raid-points-statistics
  16. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/10-23-player-successful-tackles-statistics
  17. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/10-101-high-5s-statistics
  18. ^ https://www.business-standard.com/article/sports/pkl-2018-sunil-kumar-to-lead-gujarat-fortunegiants-squad-in-sixth-season-118100101083_1.html
  19. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/standings
  20. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/schedule-fixtures-results
  21. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/11-22-player-raid-points-statistics
  22. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/11-100-super-10s-statistics
  23. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/11-28-player-super-tackles-statistics
  24. ^ https://www.dream11.com/games/kabaddi-teams/gujarat-fortunegiants
  25. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/schedule-fixtures-results
  26. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/20-103-player-tackle-points-statistics
  27. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/stats/20-101-high-5s-statistics
  28. ^ https://https://www.prokabaddi.com/news/gujarat-giants-season-8-squad-review
  29. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/features/top-coaches-of-pro-kabaddi-season-10
  30. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/features/gujarat-missed-out-on-putting-up-a-gigantic-show-in-season-9
  31. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/features/gujarat-missed-out-on-putting-up-a-gigantic-show-in-season-9
  32. ^ https://www.espn.in/kabaddi/story/_/id/34693192/gujarat-giants-full-squad-pro-kabaddi-league-season-9-pkl-dong-geon-lee-chandran-ranjit
  33. ^ https://sportstar.thehindu.com/kabaddi/haryana-steelers-pro-kabaddi-league-pkl-auction-new-buys-2023-full-list-players-pkl-remaining-purse-live-updates/article67399524.ece https://www.prokabaddi.com/features/gujarat-giants-season-10-squad-review
  34. ^ https://www.prokabaddi.com/schedule-fixtures-results
  35. ^ https://www.gujaratgiants.com/pro-kabaddi/news/fazel-atrachali-leads-the-best-defenders-for-gujarat-giants-in-pkl-season-x
  36. ^ https://www.gujaratgiants.com/pro-kabaddi/news/parteek-dahiya-sonu-among-the-top-raiders-for-gujarat-giants-in-pro-kabaddi-league-season-x
  37. ^ https://www.gujaratgiants.com/pro-kabaddi/squad

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gujarat_Giants_(kabaddi)&oldid=1223960210"