PKL 2019 | Girish Ernak focuses on “strengthening” Puneri Paltan in season 7
Girish Ernak has stated that his focus ahead of the seventh edition of the Pro Kabaddi League is to strengthen Puneri Paltan in the upcoming season and for this, he is ready to play at any defensive position. Ernak also said that the team is fortunate to have Anup Kumar as their coach.
Girish Ernak is considered as one of the best left-corner defenders in the country among the current crop of players. However, in the sixth season of the league, where he had led the Puneri Paltan side, he was also seen guarding the left cover of the Pune mat. Although this year, under the guidance of their new coach Anup Kumar, the Paltan have chosen Surjeet Singh as their coach, the aim for Ernak remains the same i.e to make the side stronger and the position where he plays hardly matters to the defender from Maharashtra.
“The challenge is to anticipate a raider’s move and to devise a counterattack move. This needs to happen at a lightning-fast speed, firstly in the mind of any defender, and then needs to be communicated to other teammates to execute a successful team tackle. The game requires one to be on their toes every moment, as a defender we need to have a watchful eye on every move of the raider. I would not call it a challenge, but it is more like a necessity for us. Kabaddi requires a lot of concentration and focus not just for defenders but for raiders as well,” Ernak told SportsCafe in an exclusive interview.
“As a defender, I will always play according to the team’s strategies. Although my natural position is the left-corner, my only focus is to strengthen my team further for which I am ready to play any position as required.”
Making his maiden appearance in the league with Patna Pirates in the first season, Ernak has been a part of the Paltan for last three seasons. He even was the captain of the side in the last edition in which they ended up at the fourth place on the Zone A points table, hence failing to make it to the playoffs of the league. The Maharashtra-born international player is of the opinion that individual performance shouldn’t matter and he keeps his team first while making strategies.
“I have been playing from both corner and cover positions in the last season. When I’m on the mat, I have only one goal in mind that is to win the match. It all depends on the situation that we are going through. Considering how the game pans out, I strategize accordingly to ensure that I trap the raider effectively. It is not a matter of affecting an individual’s performance, it is about standing by your team’s side and doing what’s best for the team,” the former Pune skipper explained.
 © TwitterJust before the auctions for the seventh edition of the league, the Paltan went ahead with the decision of not retaining a single player for the season in the Elite Player Retention. They also took a big call in the team’s favour by appointing legendary Anup Kumar as the new coach who replaced Ashan Kumar Sangwan.
Anup, who represented Jaipur Pink Panthers last year is a player who has played against or with most of the active players this year, is expected to have a big positive impact on the team this year.
“Anup Kumar has been an inspiration for every Kabaddi player and fan, and we are fortunate to have him as our coach. When he was on the other side of the mat, although an aggressive raider, he was always a composed leader.Â
“I want to imbibe from him not just Kabaddi skills and tactics but also his calm demeanour. A master tactician, the way he strategizes for defence as well as raiding talks about his sheer brilliance as a player. At the camp, he pays attention to each and every player and helps us improve our skills. His insights into the game are very enlightening and the experience so far has been great,” the defender signed off.
