Sachin Manipal: Early Life, Domestic Career, PKL Achievements, Social Media and More
Sachin Manipal represents the new generation of young kabaddi defenders who are making their presence felt in the Pro Kabaddi League. Born on November 7, 2005, this 19-year-old right cover defender from India made his professional debut with UP Yoddhas in Season 11. Despite his young age, Sachin Manipal has shown good skills as a defender and continues to develop his game at the highest level of Indian kabaddi.
| Category | Details |
| Full Name | Sachin Manipal |
| Position | Defender (Right Cover) |
| Date of Birth | November 7, 2005 |
| Age | 19 years |
| Country | India |
| Current Team | UP Yoddhas |
| PKL Debut Season | Season 11 (2024) |
Early Life & Family
Sachin Manipal was born on November 7, 2005, making him one of the youngest players in the Pro Kabaddi League. At just 19 years old, he has achieved what many kabaddi players dream of by securing a spot in the professional league. His early life details and family background are yet to be updated.
Domestic Career
Sachin Manipal’s domestic career journey before joining the Pro Kabaddi League is not extensively documented in available sources. However, his selection for UP Yoddhas suggests that he performed well in domestic competitions and youth tournaments.
According to the Yuva Kabaddi Series records, Sachin Manipal has played a total of 42 matches and has scored 80 points, including 69 tackle points and 11 raid points. His position as a right cover defender suggests that he specialized in this role during his domestic career.
PKL Journey
Sachin Manipal made his Pro Kabaddi League debut in Season 11 (2024) with UP Yoddhas. He wears jersey number 5 for the team and plays as a right cover defender. His selection came as part of UP Yoddhas’ strategy to blend young talent with experienced players.
During his debut Pro Kabaddi League season, Sachin Manipal played 4 matches for UP Yoddhas. He scored a total of 2 points throughout these matches, showing his contribution to the team’s defensive efforts. His tackle strike rate stood at 29%, while his raid strike rate was 0%.
UP Yoddhas, based in Noida, gave Sachin Manipal the platform to showcase his defensive skills at the highest level of Indian kabaddi. The team’s coaching staff worked with him to improve his game and help him understand the tactical aspects of professional kabaddi.
Sachin Manipal featured as a defender for UP Yoddhas during Pro Kabaddi League Season 12, appearing in just 4 matches throughout the entire campaign. This minimal participation—representing 22.2% of the full 18-match season—indicated Manipal occupied a marginal role within the franchise’s squad hierarchy. His deployment as a reserve option rather than a core defensive contributor reflected either limited readiness for regular competition or strategic squad management decisions by UP Yoddhas regarding his playing opportunities.
During his four appearances, Manipal attempted 9 tackles across the season, averaging 2.25 tackles per match. While this tackle attempt frequency appeared moderate when viewed in isolation, it required context within his extremely limited match involvement. His defensive engagement remained relatively active during his brief appearances, suggesting he received meaningful playing time when selected, though the franchise chose to use him sparingly overall. The 0.25 successful tackles per match average revealed that converting these tackle attempts into successful defenses proved exceptionally challenging.
Manipal’s tackle success rate represented one of the most concerning defensive metrics recorded in professional kabaddi. With an 11% tackle success rate, he successfully converted only 1 of his 9 tackle attempts into a successful tackle, generating just 1 total tackle point across four matches. Eight of his nine tackles went unsuccessful, a pattern demonstrating severe difficulty in executing defensive fundamentals effectively. This conversion rate indicated that opposing raiders overwhelmingly avoided his defensive challenges or neutralized his tackling approaches with relative ease. The 0.25 points per match average reflected minimal defensive contribution during his playing time, with tackles frequently failing to achieve their intended objectives.
The complete absence of bonus contributions further underscored Manipal’s defensive struggles. He recorded neither super tackles nor high fives across his four appearances, meaning none of his limited successful defensive executions resulted in high-impact plays or sequential defensive chains. The lack of bonus points, combined with his critically low 11% success rate, painted a picture of a defender operating significantly below professional PKL standards during his appearances on the mat.
Sachin Manipal’s PKL 12 season positioned him among UP Yoddhas’ most peripheral squad members. His four-match participation represented even fewer appearances than several other reserve players, emphasizing his marginal status within the defensive setup. The combination of minimal match opportunities, low tackle volume despite relatively active engagement per appearance, critically low 11% success rate, and negligible point generation created a performance profile indicating substantial challenges at the professional level.
The defensive metrics provided no compensatory indicators that might suggest untapped potential. Players with limited appearances sometimes demonstrate technical excellence or efficiency within restricted opportunities, but Manipal’s 11% success rate contradicted any such assessment. His development pathway required fundamental restructuring of defensive approach, substantial technical refinement in tackle execution, and significant improvement in tactical awareness.
Without demonstrated improvement in these core areas, establishing regular playing time within UP Yoddhas’ defensive structure appeared unlikely. His performance during PKL 12 positioned him as a squad depth option requiring considerable development to progress toward reliable defensive contributions for the franchise.
| Season | Team | Matches Played | Raid Points | Tackle Points | Total Points |
| Season 11 (2024) | UP Yoddhas | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Season 12 (2025) | UP Yoddhas | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Achievements
While Sachin Manipal is still at the beginning of his professional career, his selection for UP Yoddhas in PKL Season 11 represents a significant achievement. Making it to the Pro Kabaddi League at the age of 19 is an accomplishment that shows his potential and skills as a defender.
His participation in 4 PKL matches during his debut season shows that the team management had confidence in his abilities. Moreover, scoring 2 points in these matches indicates his contribution to the team’s defensive strategies.
Conclusion
Sachin Manipal’s journey from a young kabaddi enthusiast to a professional PKL player shows the opportunities available for talented defenders in Indian kabaddi. At just 19 years old, he has achieved a milestone that many players aspire to reach. His debut season with UP Yoddhas in PKL Season 11 provided him with valuable experience and exposure to professional competition.
With his defensive skills and young age, Sachin Manipal has the potential to develop into a reliable defender for UP Yoddhas. His journey serves as an inspiration for other young kabaddi players who dream of playing in the Pro Kabaddi League while highlighting the importance of consistent performance and dedication in achieving professional success.
