PKL 2023: U Mumba names Gholamreza Mazandarani as head coach

The “Lion of Iran” will replace Anil Chaprana in the backroom.

(L-R) U Mumba’s Jeeva Kumar, Gholamreza Mazandarani, CEO Suhail Chandhok and KC Suthar. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

U Mumba on Wednesday named Gholamreza Mazandarani the new head coach ahead of the tenth season of the Pro Kabaddi League.

The “Lion of Iran” will replace Anil Chaprana in the backroom. With Chaprana at the helm, U Mumba had finished ninth on the table in 2022, with 10 wins from 22 matches.

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This isn’t Mazandarani’s first stint at the Mumbai outfit. He had also held the same role in 2018, when the team finished second on the Zone A points table to qualify for the Playoffs.

READ: Pro Kabaddi 2023: U Mumba full list of retained players ahead of PKL 10 Auction

The Iranian’s services, however, were acquired by the Telugu Titans in the following seasons. Under his tutelage, the Titans finished 11th, managing just six victories from 22 matches.

Mazandarani is currently the head coach of Iran’s national team for the Asian Games, scheduled to be held later this year. He famously coached Iran to an Asian Games gold in 2018, displacing India for the first time in history. Mazandarani, also a pro freestyle wrestler, went on to play judo. He has the unique distinction of leading Iran as a captain and coach at the Asiad. Mazandarani still holds the distinction of being PKL’s first international coach.

Reputed Indian coach KC Suthar and Indian legend Jeeva Kumar will also be joining the coaching setup at Mumba.

Suthar has served as the coach of the Indian and Iranian national teams. He even led Iran to a silver medal at the World Cup held in Ahmedabad in 2016. He has also coached the coveted Sports Authority of India’s kabaddi team from 1986 to 2016 at their centres in Gandhinagar and Mumbai.

Jeeva, who joins as a defensive coach, meanwhile, is a 2010 Asian Games gold medallist, who was a part of the U Mumba family as a player between PKL 1-4, eventually going on to win the Championship in 2015. He represented the city of dreams for 52 matches, amassing 164 points during his tenure, and was arguably known to be the best Left Cover defender in the world. Jeeva won his second PKL title as a player with Dabang Delhi in Season 8, after which he hung up his playing boots to then help the UP Yoddhas qualify for the Playoffs as an Assistant Coach.

U Mumba also happens to have a new CEO in Suhail Chandhok.