Contents
Manjeet Chhillar is an Indian former professional kabaddi player, who played as a defender for the Indian national team. He played for the franchise Kabaddi teams Bengaluru Bulls, Puneri Paltan, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Tamil Thalaivas, and Dabang Delhi in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). The second most successful defender in Pro Kabaddi, Manjeet scored 391 tackle points in 132 matches in the Pro Kabaddi League. He started working as the assistant coach of the franchise team Telugu Titans in 2022 ahead of the ninth season of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Wiki/Biography
Manjeet Chhillar was born on Monday, 18 August 1986 (age 37 years; as of 2023) in Nizampur, Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Leo. Situated on the outskirts of Dehli, Nizampur is well known for its kabaddi legacy and has nurtured renowned players like Mohit Chhillar, Rakesh Kumar, and Amit Singh Chhillar. Talking about the same in an interview, Manjeet said,
Kabaddi has been passed down from generation to generation in our village. I learnt it from my seniors and now I am teaching it to my juniors. This is one of the reasons why we continue to live in the village; if we move out who will teach the younger generation? It is our responsibility to carry forward the kabaddi tradition of the village.”
Manjeet Chhillar’s home
He attended Kirori Mal College, Delhi. He joined the Indian Railways in 2008. Thereafter, he trained under kabaddi coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat.
Manjeet Chhillar with his coach Randhir Singh Sehrawat
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 8″
Weight (approx.): 82 kg
Hair Colour: Black
Eye Colour: Black
Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 44″, Waist: 34″, Biceps: 17″
Family
He belongs to a Jat family hailing from the Jatwara Mohalla, a neighbourhood in Bahadurgarh, Haryana.
Parents & Siblings
His father, Jai Prakash (deceased), was a Haryana Police officer. His mother’s name is Nirmala Devi. His brother’s names are Sandeep Chhillar, Ashish Chhillar, and Virender Chhillar.
Manjeet Chhillar with his father
Manjeet Chhillar with his mother
Manjeet Chhillar’s brother Sandeep Chhillar
Wife & Children
On 7 March 2015, he got married to Hanisha Chhillar (nickanmed Vinni). He has a daughter named Manvi Chhillar.
Manjeet Chhillar’s wedding image
Manjeet Chhillar with his wife
Manjeet Chhillar with his daughter
Religion
He follows Hinduism.
Career
Manjeet represented India’s junior kabaddi team. He has also played for Railways.
International
He was a part of the Indian team that clinched the gold medal in Indoor Kabaddi at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games, after beating Iran in the final. He was a part of the gold medal-winning team at the 2010 Asian Games in Nansha Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China. He represented India at Beach Kabaddi at the 2012 Asian Beach Games in which India won a bronze medal.
Manjeet Chhillar during the 2012 Asian Beach Games
He was a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in Kabaddi at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2014 Asian Indoor Games in Incheon. At the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup, held in Ahmedabad, Manjeet was a part of the Indian team that won the World Cup by defeating Iran by 38–29 in the final. He was also part of the team which bagged the gold in the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters Winner; India defeated Iran by 44–26 in the final to clinch the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Pro Kabaddi League
In the inaugural season of the Pro Kabaddi League, 2014, he captained the team Bengaluru Bulls. He scored the most tackle points, 51, in the season emerging as the Star Sports Defender of the Tournament, meanwhile picking up 71 raid points.
A picture of Manjeet Chhillar playing for Bengaluru Bulls against the Puneri Paltan in Pro Kabaddi season 1
In the second season, he again represented Bengaluru Bulls and picked up 40 tackle points and 67 raid points. In Season 3, he captained Puneri Paltan and led his team to finish in third position. In the season he scored the most tackle points, 61, and the most successful tackle, 56. He played for Puneri Paltan in Season 4 in which he broke the all-time record for most tackle points (11) in a Pro Kabaddi match against Bengaluru Bulls. He was named captain of the Jaipur Pink Panthers in Season 5. In Season 6, he played for Tamil Thalaivas and scored 59 tackle points and 8 raid points. He continued playing for Tamil Thalaivas in the following season.
Manjeet Chhillar playing Jaipur Pink Panthers
He was bought by the Dabang Delhi team for Rs 20 lakh in the auction ahead of Season 8. His efforts led the team to win its maiden title. In the season, he scored 52 tackle points from 24 games. He started serving as the assistant coach of the franchise team Telugu Titans in 2022 ahead of the ninth season of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Controversy
Accused of Wrongfully Claiming Cash Award From Haryana Sports Ministry
In 2016, The Haryana Sports Ministry ordered a vigilance probe against kabaddi players Manjeet Chillar and Rakesh Kumar after the two allegedly presented themselves as Haryana residents to get the Rs 2 crore cash award from the state. Manjeet and Rakesh claimed the cash award at a function held in Panchkula on 11 August 2015 after submitting their applications to Jhajjar District Sports Officer, stating that they were residents of Haryana. According to Anil Vij, the state minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, it was found that the players did not have the requisite documents to prove their claim and did not attend further meetings of the inquiry committee. While Vij claimed that “Manjeet could not prove that he has stayed in Haryana for 15 years,” Manjeet pleaded his innocence saying,
All my ID proofs are of my village Jatwara near Bhadurgarh and we applied through the District Sports Officer of Jhajjar district last year. I played for Haryana even in the Inter-University Championships from 2005-2008. My father Jai Prakash died four months prior to his retirement from Haryana Police in 2012 and the then Haryana government had offered me a job also. But we did not get NOC from Railways at that time. Many Indian players who belong to their respective states have to play in the tournaments from their employers.”
Awards
Team
- Gold medal at the 2009 Asian Indoor Games in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games in Nansha Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China
A snip of Manjeet Chhillar’s Instagram post featuring the Gold medal that he won at the Asian Games 2010
- Gold medals at the National Championships in 2010, 2011, and 2012
- Bronze medal at 2012 Asian Beach Games Haiyang, China
- Gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea
- Gold medal at the 2014 Asian Indoor Games in Incheon, South Korea
- Won the title at the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup in Ahmedabad, India
- Gold medal at the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters in United Arab Emirates
Individual
- Arjuna Award (2015)
Manjeet Chhillar receiving the Arjuna Award from President Pranab Mukherjee in 2015
- Most Valuable Player in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) (2015)
Car Collection
- Ford Endeavour
Manjeet Chhillar with his Ford Endeavour
- Mahindra Thar
Manjeet Chhillar with his Thar
- A Hyundai car
Manjeet Chhillar with his Hyundai car
Favourites
- Food: Aloo paratha with curd
Facts/Trivia
- He was initially a wrestler, but an injury to his nose saw him return to his village, where he started playing kabaddi with the kids of the village. Abdul Hameed, a wrestler, and Manjeet’s long-time friend during an interview said,
He wanted to be a wrestler, but while practising with us at an akhara, he got hurt and came back and took up kabaddi; but I think he would have been equally successful as a wrestler.”
- He has earned various names throughout his career like One Man Army , Angry Young Man, Mighty Manjeet, and Powerhouse.
- His father died four months prior to his retirement from Haryana Police in 2012. Following the death of his father, the Haryana government offered Manjeet a job, but he could not pursue it as he did not get NOC from Railways at that time.
- Manjeet Chhillar was one of the poster boys of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).
- Once Manjeet Chhillar’s brother revealed that Manjeet weighed 62 kg when the selection for the junior national team was announced. To fulfill the 50 kg weight eligibility for the tournament, Manjeet reduced 12 kg in a month and secured a place in the junior kabaddi team.
- In an interview, Chhillar’s teammate Ajay Thakur revealed that Chhillar is very fashion-conscious. He loves to do shopping.
- He has a pet dog named Tyson.
A snip of Manjeet Chhillar’s Instagram post about his dog