Bellary, April 1 -- Indian kabaddi player Naveen Kumar has credited his family support as the primary motivation for his journey into the sport.

"Motivation, first of all, comes from the family's support. Whether the family wants us to study or not. To avoid studies, I got into sports because I was not that good at studies. My grandfather was the most supportive, but actually, the whole family has always been supportive. So, family is everything to me," Naveen told ANI.

Naveen also praised the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) for preparing athletes and providing different facilities ahead of global events, including the Asian Games 2026.

"Playing for India is a very big platform. First of all, I want to thank Mashal, AKFI, and the IIS....