PKL 10 Playoffs: Head coaches share their strategy to bag coveted trophy

A win for kabaddi and a better future for the youngsters is our wish.

A win for Kabaddi and a better future for the youngsters. This is our wish,” said BC Ramesh, Puneri Paltan Head Coach, as the coaches of the teams, which have qualified for the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 (PKL 10) Playoffs, got together to share their thoughts on the tenth season so far.

The six coaches included Puneri Paltan’s Head Coach BC Ramesh, Jaipur Pink Panthers’ Head Coach Sanjeev Baliyan, Dabang Delhi K.C.’s Head Coach Rambir Singh Khokhar, Gujarat Giants’ Head Coach Ram Mehar Singh, Haryana Steelers’ Head Coach Manpreet Singh and Patna Pirates’ Head Coach Narender Redhu. The PKL Season 10 Playoffs will be held from 26 February to 01 March 2024 in Hyderabad.

Dabang Delhi K.C. Head coach Rambir Singh Khokhar was proud of the younger members of his team, who have done well to take their side to the playoffs. Highlighting several players, he said, “Our team’s defence and offence have been very good. Naveen was in good form and after his injury, Ashu did very well. He has improved, especially after becoming the captain of the team.”

But facing them in Eliminator 1 will be the Patna Pirates, whose Head Coach Narender Redhu said that mental strength will play a key role, “The most important thing is mental strength. The mind plays an important role in the sport of kabaddi. We need to understand the situation of the opponent teams and set our strategies accordingly. The playoffs can go either way, and we need to be in the right mind frame to win these crucial matches, and especially the trophy.” 

Haryana Steelers’ Head Coach Manpreet Singh reiterated that despite doing well in the league stage, his team will need to be careful in the Playoffs, “We use players depending on the situations that the team is in. In a match that the players give their 100%, that team usually goes on to win the game. In the playoffs, we need to be very careful. Our league stage mistakes will not count much because this is a different set of matches.”

The Gujarat Giants will face off against the Haryana Steelers in Eliminator 2. Ahead of the game, Ram Maher Singh heaped praise on the team skipper, “We have played against all the teams in this competition. But our skipper Fazel Atrachali is among the most experienced players in the competition, according to me. He has played in 4 Asian Games. Others like Parteek Dahiya have also done well but such raiders will need support from other raiders as well. This is something we will work on before the playoffs.” 

Meanwhile, Jaipur Pink Panthers Head Coach Sanjeev Baliyan said the team shouldn’t think too far ahead, “Before thinking about winning the title, we need to concentrate on the Semi-final game first. We need to give everything. I cannot pressurise my players into wining the trophy, because the Semi-final sometimes can be more crucial than a final. As to defending the title, we will definitely try our best.” 

To wrap up the proceedings, Puneri Paltan head coach BC Ramesh lauded young defender Abinesh Nadarajan, saying, “Abinesh is a great player. He is a very good defender. He is looking to master different tackling techniques. This will help benefit the teams as well. He needs to work on his performances and he will surely play for the national team.”

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