PKL 12: Why did Manpreet Singh scold his players despite win against Puneri Paltan?

Haryana Steelers registered their third consecutive win in PKL 12 by defeating Puneri Paltan.

Haryana Steelers brought an end to Puneri Paltan’s winning streak in Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 (PKL 12) with a solid performance on the mat and added two more points to their tally.

Vinay and Shivam Patare combined 21 points, taking the defending champions over the line in a nail-biting encounter. The Steelers were ahead from the get-go and did not let Puneri Paltan grab a chance to come back into the tie.

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, “They are a good team, and we had to do a lot of planning because there are many great stars and they train the whole year, and the coordination is there. So the team played well throughout the match.”

“In the last six to seven minutes, my players made several mistakes, and then I felt that they had started playing for themselves. For the first 35 minutes, they played according to the plan we had made through video analysis. Then I scolded my players and even the captain,” he added.

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Aslam Inamdar’s role at Puneri Paltan

Manpreet also spoke about Aslam Inamdar and Puneri Paltan as a whole and said, “Aslam handles his team very well. But today I feel that my team did very well in the beginning, and Aslam did not get a chance to plan the team. Aslam, Pankaj Mohte, Aditya Shinde, and Sachin are good raiders.”

“We did not let them settle in the first 10 minutes. After that, the team made a comeback in the last five to six minutes, but it was too late. Congratulations to Ajay Thakur and the entire team for playing a wonderful match. If Jaideep had not taken that catch, they would have won the game,” he added.

Bond with Ajay Thakur

Manpreet also shared a few words about his relationship with Ajay Thakur and said, “Ajay is my younger brother. When he was young, he was the Tom Cruise of the team, and I was John Abraham or Bobby of the team with big hair. Ajay was very fit. Nowadays, kids don’t have the fitness that Ajay has; that’s why he has been playing for so long.”

“We have played together in the Indian team and national matches. Then he used to play for Air India, and I used to play for my ONGC. Our brother is a younger DSP. Now whenever I go to Himachal with my wife, Ajay puts two cars in front and two at the back, so it’s fun,” he added.

Thoughts on Tamil Thalaivas

Manpreet opened up about his thoughts on the Tamil Thalaivas and Sanjeev Baliyan ahead of their next game and said, “So I have played Kabaddi with Sanjeev Baliyan for at least 15 years, and he is my elder brother. Their team has more balance and more experienced players in both raiding and defence.”

“Yes, we did not lose any match against the Tamil Thalaivas last season, but this year is different. Their team and coach are new. Now the Raid Machine has left Jaipur and gone to Tamil Thalaivas. So the contest will be tough. I will try to compete with my elder brother on the mat,” he added.

Puneri Paltan 

Thoughts on the game

Puneri Paltan skipper Aslam Inamdar shared his thoughts on the game and said, “If both offense and defense work, the team wins. Sometimes raiders perform well, and sometimes the defenders. I think we won yesterday’s match because of the strength of our defence.”

“I felt that the raiders did well today, and sometimes there were some mistakes that our defence made, and I think that the bonus points that we gave away cost us the match,” he added.

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