PKL 10: We are hoping to win title this season, says Haryana Steelers' coach Manpreet Singh

The Steelers caused an upset after eliminating one of the tournament favourites.

Haryana Steelers emerged victorious by a 31-27 scoreline against the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the semi-final of the Pro Kabaddi League season 10 (PKL 10) at the GMC Balayogi Sports Complex in Gachibowli, Hyderabad on 28 February 2024. In a nail-biter of a contest that saw both teams push each other to their limits, the Steelers edged past the defending champions and set up a meeting with Puneri Paltan for the trophy this term. 

Despite a valiant effort from the Arjun “Raid Machine” Deshwal (14), the Jaipur Pink Panthers found themselves facing elimination. For the Haryana Steelers, Vinay (11) scored crucial raid points and received support from Shivam Patare (7) which enabled the team to win against a strong opposition.

Following the conclusion of the match, representatives from the Pink Panthers and the Steelers took part in the post-match media interaction and shared their opinions on the game and the season as a whole. Here are the excerpts:

Underperforming defence

Sunil Kumar, the skipper, was straightforward in his assessment while suggesting that defensive frailties caused the team to lose on the night. He said, “It was a good start to the game but our defence failed to contain the opposition just before halftime. Whether it was me, Sahul Kumar, or Reza Mirbagheri, we made plenty of mistakes in the defensive department and it saddens me to admit that we lost because of our underperforming defence.”

Watch full PC here

On Rahul Chaudhari’s return

Sunil Kumar gave a positive update on Rahul Chaudhari’s inclusion in the Jaipur Pink Panthers squad. “Rahul Chaudhari will certainly be on the mat for the Jaipur Pink Panthers in the next season. He is a great raider who has been doing well since the start of the league. His seniority will benefit the team. This season too, he was supporting us from the sidelines but he will be back for the next season,” he said.

The pressure was on the Pink Panthers to defend their title – Manpreet Singh 

Manpreet Singh, head coach of the Haryana Steelers, talked about the pressure being on the defending champions which allowed his team to play freely. He said, “The Jaipur Pink Panthers is a great team which won the trophy last time. My players were new and young so the pressure was on the Pink Panthers to defend their title. We had nothing to lose and the players expressed themselves freely on the mat.”

“Our team has the support and prayers of a lot of people from across India and the squad is proving to be competitive. All of them (the fans) are hoping that the Haryana Steelers win the trophy this time,” the head coach further added.

Pro Kabaddi League as a platform for young players

The tactician lauded the young players for making the most of the opportunity and proving that PKL is a brilliant platform for the youth to shine. He said, “The league will only grow when new teams will lift the trophy. The other teams will only become champions if they work hard like ours has done. Kapil has done brilliantly in identifying new players, the supporting staff has worked excellently, and Jaideep (Dahiya) being an emerging player, is leading the team into the final as captain. So, the stars of tomorrow have shown that the Pro Kabaddi League as a platform is for young players to show their quality.”

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.