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Pro Kabaddi League 2019: Teams, coaches gear up for the ‘Toughest Half' of PKL Season 7

Match 66 of Pro Kabaddi League Season 7 between Dabang Delhi K.C. and Patna Pirates marked the midpoint of the league stage of this campaign and the action so far has been nothing short of breathtaking.

Pro Kabaddi League 2019: Teams, coaches gear up for the ‘Toughest Half of PKL Season 7

Bengaluru, Sep 3: With the culmination of the match 66 of Pro Kabaddi League 2019 between Dabang Delhi K.C. and Patna Pirates, the seventh season marked the midpoint of the league stage and the action so far has been nothing short of breathtaking.

From Naveen Kumar's outstanding nine successive Super 10s to the domination of defenders; the first half of the season was undoubtedly a package full of surprises.

With the beginning of the second half of the league stage, which is already being dubbed as the 'Toughest Half', the captains and coaches of teams met in Bengaluru to share their thoughts on the journey so far and the upcoming challenges in their campaign.

Current League table-toppers Dabang Delhi K.C.'s captain Joginder Narwal, star raider Naveen Kumar; home team Bengaluru Bulls' coach Randhir Singh along with current green sleeve holder (Highest raiding points) Pawan Sehrawat; Telugu Titans' coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, star raider Siddharth Desai and current orange sleeve holder (top defender) Vishal Bharadwaj; captain of U Mumba Fazel Atrachali and Captain of Patna Pirates Pardeep Narwal; coach of Jaipur Pink Panthers Srinivas Reddy along with Anup Kumar, Coach of Puneri Paltan.

Speaking during the mid-season review press conference, here is what coaches said:

Randhir Singh, Coach, Bengaluru Bulls

Randhir Singh, Coach, Bengaluru Bulls

Bengaluru Bulls' coach Randhir Singh said, "We have completed 13 matches and at the mid-season the first thing we have realised that #IssToughKuchNahi - the team through the first half has moved on the points table after every match.

"All my fellow coaches seated here will agree that the competition this season is extreme. The second thing is the beauty of the league which has changed the thought of Kabaddi being a raiders game; for the past 6 seasons raiders dominated - but this season there's a clear domination of defence in all teams. The third is the love that these players are getting from their fans - I wish I was a player in today's time.

"Pro Kabaddi has pulled up the stature of the game and given so many players a platform to show their skills. The league has given us stars who were all NYP's - Vishal Bhardwaj, Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar, Pardeep Narwal. Fans and viewers, you are in for the ‘Toughest' Half - you will see big changes in the points table; the team in the 8th position can rise to the 4th, and vice-versa."

Srinivas Reddy, Coach, Jaipur Pink Panthers

Srinivas Reddy, Coach, Jaipur Pink Panthers

Jaipur Pink Panthers' coach Srinivas Reddy said, "The seventh season of Pro Kabaddi League is unpredictable. Every team is performing so well, sometimes unexpected things happen - the team at the bottom of the table wins against the table topper. Every second of the 40minutes match is valuable, and all players are aware and are making sure they give their best till the end; it's a no give-up attitude. Especially this season, which is all about the defender's game - the reason behind this is the Super Tackles; it's becoming a game-changer.

"Initially, Kabaddi was a raiders game, now it's important to have a balanced squad and all 7 members together, playing in a united form can only take the team to victory."

Gholamreza Mazandarani, Coach, Telugu Titans

Gholamreza Mazandarani, Coach, Telugu Titans

Telugu Titans' coach Gholamreza Mazandarani said, "Kabaddi has become more like a game of Chess; one wrong move can change the result completely. Every match is turning out to be extremely tough and competitive - every player is putting in their best to take the team towards victory. As of today, all teams have an equal chance to qualify for the playoffs - no one is out of the race. Strategising is important, and all teams should play with a strategy for the opposition's offence and defence, and most importantly play together as a unit."

Anup Kumar, Coach, Puneri Paltan

Anup Kumar, Coach, Puneri Paltan

Puneri Paltan's coach Anup Kumar said, "This season is indeed tough, all teams are performing well and giving their best shot. But one thing that should be taken care of by coaches is the weaknesses of the team - there have been games where all the seven players perform very well, and some games where all 7 fail. In such situations understanding the problem and fixing it with an alternate route or strategy is important. All NYP players who are coming from the NYP programme of the league are performing extremely well. Their performance reflects well on Kabaddi and shows the growth scale of the sport. They are the future and the face of the sport, and I would encourage more players from the NYP programme to be part of the league."

Story first published: Tuesday, September 3, 2019, 18:47 [IST]
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