PKL 2018 | We wanted to play according to match situation, reveals Jasvir Singh
UP Yoddha coach Jasvir Singh has stated that after having a bad run in the tournament, he asked the team to play according to the match situation and not think about winning and losing. UP defeated Bengal Warriors in their last league match and managed to overtake Patna Pirates in the playoffs race.
In a do or die contest, UP Yoddha put in a scintillating performance to outperform the Bengal Warriors 41-25 at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Through this win, Yoddha grabbed the last playoff spot on offer in the Zone-B and pushed three-time defending champions Patna Pirates out of the tournament. On making to the playoffs from being on the brink of elimination, Yoddha coach Jasvir Singh explained what went right for the team.
“After our tough run of results, I and the assistant coach got the team together and told them not to worry about the results of the upcoming games; just to play with pride and give their best,” he told the PKL website.
“The idea was to play according to the match situation and not think of winning or losing since the performance on the mat will decide that.”
Scoring nine points against Warriors and becoming the star of the match for the Yoddha, Rishank Devadiga echoed his coach and stated that they focused on one match at a time which made their last leg of the tournament an less pressing affair.
“What worked for us in the final half a dozen fixtures of the campaign was the fact that we took it one game at a time,” said Devadiga.
The Yoddha will face the Zone-A second placed team U Mumba in their eliminator match and Devadiga, who was a part of Mumbai based franchise in the past, has added that they will continue doing the things they have done right in the last five to six matches.
“Our upcoming match is against U Mumba and we’ll plan meticulously for that fixture. We have found a formula that works and the entire team is united in executing it. So, we want to continue in the same vein," Devadiga added.
Defender Jeeva Kumar, though optimistic about the team’s chances, sounded a few words of caution too, stating that to win in the qualifiers a team should a strong defence along with the right raiders.
“To win in the Playoffs, a team has to perform well on both sides of the mat. If the raiders score a point, the defence has to ensure that they protect it. If the defenders start protecting the lead, the pressure is eased on the raiders”, said Kumar.
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