Dharmaraj Cheralathan: 10 things you need to know about him

It is rare in modern sport for players to play beyond the age of 35, with the strain of tight schedules, constant media spotlight, and greater competition. In that light, it is remarkable how Dharmaraj Cheralathan is still one of the best defenders in the country at over 40 years of age. Here are a few things to know about him.

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#1 Dharmaraj was born in Thiruchanampondi village of Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu. In India's 2016 World Cup winning team, he was the only player from the state. He hopes that the win will inspire more youngsters from the state to take up the sport. He told Times of India about how Kabaddi is Tamil Nadu's state game and at one point, Tamil players "ruled the roost". He also rued the fact that enthusiasm amongst youngsters has waned of late.

#2 Despite being a Tamilian by birth, Dharmaraj is well conversant in Telugu as well. This is definitely a skill that must have helped him in his successful season with Telugu Titans.

#3 Dharmaraj hails from a family of farmers. One of his brothers is still a farmer and he told Sportskeeda in an interview about how he and his siblings used to spend most of their time in the fields.

#4 Dharmaraj has had a long and illustrious career, with gold medals in the World Cup, Asian Games, South Asian Games et al, resulting in him being inducted into the Kabaddi Hall of Fame.

#5 If his impressive list of achievements was not enough, the veteran defender also won gold for India in Beach Kabaddi in the Asian Beach Games in 2010.

#6 Like many sportspersons, Dharmaraj also has a job with the Indian railways. He has given memorable performances at the national level while playing for the Railways team.

#7 Due to his long career and numerous achievements, Cheralathan commands respect from his teammates wherever he plays. On the mat, he is referred to as "Anna" by fellow players.

#8 Even in the Pro Kabaddi League, Dharmaraj has had a great run, despite having played for three different teams. He has a total of 151 points from 59 games. Even at this age, he is considered one of the best defenders in the league. This is amply evident from his inclusion in Sportskeeda's list of top 5 defenders.

#9 In the quest to defend Patna's title, Dharmaraj will have to face his own brother at some point in time. His brother D Gopu is also a successful defender and represents Dabang Delhi.

#10 The love for kabaddi has passed on to the next generation as well. Dharmaraj has a teenage son who is also passionate about the game. Talking to the Times of India during the aftermath of India's World Cup win, Dharmaraj said, "He sounded more excited than me when he spoke to me. He is in class 8. He is already quite enthusiastic about the sport. He says he imitates me when he plays kabaddi with his friends ."

Considering his long career, and how he still is at the top of his game, we won't be surprised to see the father-son duo playing together in the future!