PKL 10: We are confident to win semifinal, says Puneri Paltan's captain Aslam Inamdar

The Steelers were outdone by a spirited performance from the Paltan.

The Puneri Paltan secured their 16th win of the season with a 51-36 score against the Haryana Steelers in match 129 of PKL 10 at the Tau Devilal Indoor Stadium in Panchkula on 19 February 2024. It was a one-sided contest between the two sides which saw a fruitful day for the Raiders in particular. While the focus for both teams was preparing for the upcoming season 10 playoffs of the Pro Kabaddi League, winning any game does wonders for a team’s momentum and confidence.

Mohit Goyat scored the highest (12) points for the Puneri Paltan while Akash Shinde scored eight and completed 200 raid points in the Pro Kabaddi League for the outfit. As for the Haryana Steelers, Ashish delivered a Super 10 in a losing cause. The mood in the post-match press conference was rather contrasting as both camps reflected on the game.

Here are the excerpts from the conversation:

Importance of the win

Speaking about the impact of the win on the season, Puneri Paltan head coach BC Ramesh said, “It was important for us to win this match because we had lost the earlier game in the season against them. We also allowed the younger faces in the team to showcase their talent and they made the most of it by performing well. Securing this victory was an important step towards securing the top spot in the points table.”

Watch the full PC here:

We are confident – Aslam Inamdar

The impactful all-rounder, Aslam Inamdar, talked about being impressed by the young players and said, “Giving the young players a chance to perform was a responsibility for the coach and myself. They did not feel the pressure of the occasion and showed their “kabaddi” to the entire world, becoming successful in the end. We are confident in every player of the team that they will perform in the semi-final should a need arise which is a plus point.”

Manpreet Singh on facing Gujarat Giants in the Eliminator

The tactician said, “Only the playoffs will answer the question of who is more ready. Even though we have defeated Gujarat Giants in both of the league matches, the result will depend on how both teams are feeling on the day and which team finds the rhythm. They are a good team and we will try to replicate our performance against them from the league stage.”

Aim to improve on mistakes

Jaideep Dahiya, the skipper of the Haryana Steelers, emphasised improving on the mistakes ahead of an important clash with the Giants. He said, “Just because we have beaten them twice does not mean we will win the third time automatically. It will depend on which team or player performs on the day of the match. We will monitor our mistakes and try not to repeat them in the eliminator.”

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