Puneri Paltan's captain Aslam Inamdar reveals real reason behind their PKL 10 triumph

The Paltan lifted their maiden title following an entertaining final against the Steelers.

Puneri Paltan became the champions of the Pro Kabaddi League season 10 (PKL 10) after a masterful performance in the final against the Haryana Steelers at the GMC Balayogi Sports Complex in Gachibowli, Hyderabad on 1 March 2024. It was a final that saw both teams push each other to the extreme, but, eventually, the Paltan secured their first-ever PKL title courtesy of a 28-25 score.

Pankaj Mohite (9) was the star performer for the Puneri Paltan and his four-point raid in a crucial stage of the match turned the tides in the favour of his team. Aslam Inamdar was delighted with his team’s performance and the captain talked candidly about the familial nature of the team in the post-match interaction where the coaching department of both teams also shared their opinions as the curtain dropped on an eventful campaign.

Here are the excerpts from the media interaction:

Turning point

Manpreet Singh praised his team for the effort despite making mistakes and cited a lack of precision in do-or-die raids as the turning point of the final. He said, “One team only wins if the other one makes mistakes. It is a natural part of a game to make errors but the turning point, in my opinion, was our inability to score points in do-or-die raids. Furthermore, the four points that Pankaj Mohite scored in a single raid were also a major factor. Otherwise, it was a strong performance from the team.”

Watch full PC here

Our team played well – Jaideep Dahiya

The skipper of the team was proud of the team’s performance and saw the defeat boiling down to bad luck. “We were not under any sort of pressure. The team was playing freely. One can call it bad luck that things did not go our way and we lost the final. Our team played well and reached here on merit,” Dahiya said.

We had an all-rounder team – BC Ramesh

The tactician spoke about having a team that performed superbly on all fronts and was destined to lift the trophy. “We had an all-rounder team with outstanding players where the raiders defended well and the defenders managed to score while raiding. We had confidence in the team to become champions as there was no outfit good enough to stop them. The players were told to avoid injuries and there were discussions to focus on one game at a time,” he opined.

Power of strong bonds

Puneri Paltan skipper, Aslam Inamdar, expressed that being in the team felt like a family where everyone had each other’s backs during the season which helped the side win the title. He said, “A lot of people have contributed to the season such as the support staff, the management, the coaches and the players. However, the most important factor was the togetherness in the squad. Puneri Paltan showed how to back each other, coordination with Mohammadreza Chiyaneh was fantastic, and the coach also took responsibility and made smart decisions. It was like a family and that is why the Paltan showed a type of performance never before seen in the Pro Kabaddi League.”

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.