So the prince wants especially smart Xohulu? Pidru was never a genius. He would never stand out among a crowd for his intelligence, which is why he never really tried to. There are reasons why a tall, fit, charismatic man makes his life by thrusting hard poles into other men's faces.
But this situation could provide for an interesting change in his life's direction. Here he is at the height of his fame. If Pidru takes care of himself, then he will have as many as two more years of great glory. If he gets lucky and plays the game of politics within the sport world, then he can become a trainer or a commentator or some other easy, retired life where people remember him for those few glorious years and he goes home to pictures of himself smiling bright and victorious. It never suited him, but he never saw another life for himself. He would never be able to enter the real world for anything meaningful, not after getting hit with clubs a traditional seven-year career.
Pidru takes a few off-guard seconds to really consider the situation. He has only been in the game for three years, just enough time to become famous without doing too much damage to his brain along the way. If this opportunity is for real, then he'll never have a better shot at anything else. If the prince is really looking to reach out and understand the public, then popular figures like him would be prime candidates... but there wouldn't be many open spaces. Pidru would need a way to stand out above the rest of the crowd.
His face breaks into a crafty smile, which he then directs to his teammates. "Well then let's all go together, why not? Show them what real Xohulu look like when we mean business!" Striding ahead, Pidru knew what he had to do. He may not stand out from an entire crowd, but he has always been good at standing out looking better than his boxy, slow-witted peers.