Shah Mohammad Shahan of Moulvibazar has secured a spot as the sole Bangladeshi player in India’s popular Pro-Kabaddi League.

Although the Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation submitted the names of 10 players for the auction, Haryana Steelers acquired only Shahan for 1.3 million Indian Rupees. The league is set to commence in September.

Among the players nominated from Bangladesh—Mizanur Rahman, Liton Ali, Arif Rabbani, Rasel Hasan, Rajib Ahmed, Roman Hossain, Dipayan Goldar, Monirul Chowdhury, and Al Amin—none secured a team in the auction. Previously, the Federation claimed that Bangladesh’s player demand ranked only behind Iran, surpassing countries like Nepal, Kenya, and Thailand. However, while South Korea and Nepal each saw two players selected, and Iran had the highest with 19 players, Bangladesh managed to place only one.

Twenty-one-year-old Shah Mohammad Shahan is the son of Yaz Ullah from Mithipur village, Ward No. 4, of the 4 No. Upper Kagabala Union in Moulvibazar Sadar Upazila. He is the youngest of four brothers and three sisters. His mother passed away in 2022. Shahan is currently a third-year honors student at Gono University in Dhaka.

Shahan has played in numerous international tournaments for the Bangladesh national team, notably the Junior World Cup in Iran in 2022 and the Asian Games in China in 2023. He is employed by the Bangladesh Navy and plays for their Kabaddi team. Most recently, in 2024, he played in the Nepal Kabaddi League for Nepal’s Himalayan Riders. Furthermore, he has been managing his own Kabaddi club, ‘Duronto Mithipur Sports Club,’ in his village since 2018.

Delwar Hossain, a Kabaddi organizer from Moulvibazar and former member of the Federation, described this outcome as a “major failure.” He stated, “The Kabaddi Federation has failed to yield positive results despite playing one international series after another. Instead of focusing on developing domestic Kabaddi, expenses on foreign tours are increasing. This auction is proof of that. Only one player being sold is a big failure for us.” However, he congratulated Shah Mohammad Shahan, saying, “Shah Mohammad Shahan is the pride of our district. I congratulate him for making his place by leaving everyone behind.”

The new season of the Pro-Kabaddi League will kick off in September, with Shah Mohammad Shahan as Bangladesh’s sole representative.