PKL 12: Anup Kumar blames Ayan Lohchab for Patna Pirates' loss against Haryana Steelers

Haryana Steelers registered their fourth win in PKL 12 by defeating Patna Pirates.

Haryana Steelers secured yet another win in Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) and moved up the points table as a result of their victory over Patna Pirates.

Shivam Patare led the line with perfection and did not let his side feel the absence of star raider Naveen Kumar. Shivam notched up 15 points while skipper Jaideep Dahiya scored a high-five to help the Steelers defeat the Pirates with a scoreline of 43-32.

After the game, representatives from both teams addressed the media.

Haryana Steelers 

Thoughts on the game

Haryana Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh shared his views on the game and said, “There is no doubt that their team is good. I pray to God that both teams reach the finals this season, too. You can imagine if we reach the finals, it will be fun to play against them.”

“My team is set. I think their team will need a few more matches to settle down. They have good raiders and defenders, along with an intelligent Kabaddi king coach, Anup Kumar. I will say one thing that my team has made a few mistakes; otherwise, the whole match went well,” he added.

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Role of Pro Kabaddi

Manpreet Singh also spoke about the role of the Pro Kabaddi League in changing the lives of everyone associated with the game. He said, “Pro Kabaddi and our federation have done a good job. All the players come from villages and poor families, and Kabaddi has given us a lot. It has taken us from the soil to five-star hotels. Players who did not get even one meal at home today get three meals a day because of Kabaddi.”

Singh also added that, “It has given us a name, money, so thank you, Star Sports, and to our Kabaddi Federation. I have played Kabaddi for 27-28 years and have won so many medals for the country. The government did not give us even ₹10. Today, A-grade players in Pro Kabaddi earn Rs 2.5 crore, and C-grade players also earn a big amount. I will never forget Kabaddi till my death.”

Thoughts on Puneri Paltan

Singh shared his thoughts on Puneri Paltan ahead of the next game and said, “From the owner to the players to the coach, everyone is my friend at Puneri, and they respect me a lot. It is a good team. It will take twice as much planning and strategy to defeat that team as it took to defeat the Patna Pirates.”

“If they come with a good plan, they will defeat us. If we do well, then we will defeat them. So it will be a close contest. The spectators will enjoy it a lot, and Puneri Paltan will have to think about playing the match,” he added.

Patna Pirates 

Ayan Lohchab’s performance

Patna Pirates head coach Anup Kumar spoke about Ayan Lohchab’s performance and said, “If the raider gets three or four tackles in the beginning, then there is a little pressure. Even after that pressure, he scored, but there is no benefit of nine points like this because the team could not win.”

“If he had scored from the start and got one or two points, there would have been pressure on the opposition team. Later on, the pressure was on him. So, I consider the performance that he gave today to be average,” he added.

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