PKL 2019 | Bengaluru coach BC Ramesh hopes to build better players for future
Bengaluru Bulls coach BC Ramesh has emphasised on the importance of building a strong pool of players during the Pro Kabaddi League who can take the game forward in the future. He praised young Pawan Sehrawat who has been a revelation for the Bulls this year during an exclusive chat with SportsCafe.
It has been an amazing journey for Bengaluru Bulls so far in the sixth season of the PKL as they have lost only one game out of four that they have played so far. They are leading the Zone B points table with 16 points to their name only from four games. The team, which has not been able to win the trophy ever in the history of the game, is certainly a good contender for the title this time around.
Apart from senior coach Randhir Singh, who has been a part of the team from the inception of the league, the team management has roped in former Puneri Paltan coach BC Ramesh as the other chief coach. Ramesh is delighted seeing the Bengaluru players doing well this year and is quite impressed with the performance that they are putting up. According to him, winning the trophy matters but what he wants is the development of the players so that they can do well in future.Â
Speaking to SportsCafe, Ramesh said, “Winning medal (trophy) depends on hard work, luck and dedication but that is not our primary focus at this stage. What we want is to see our players to perform so that they can grow up better. Wherever they will go in future, it may be in the next auctions or while representing their state or even while playing for India, they can be categorised as a good kabaddi player. Our management also wants the same from the players and there is no pressure of winning the trophy. We want to keep working hard during every game and take one match at a time. If we can continue putting up a consistent performance this season we can certainly win the trophy.”Â
He also spoke about the performance of young raider Pawan Sehrawat who has gone onto impress one and all with his raiding skills in this season of PKL so far. In the very first game of the league against Tamil Thalaivas, he picked up 20 raid points to announce his arrival in the
“Pawan has been doing well from the junior level in national competitions. We already knew that he is a talented player and had faith on him from the very beginning of the coaching camp. He is someone who thinks for the team which is the best thing about him. In this season, most of the junior raiders have done well as compared to the seniors. We are focussing on his diet apart from his playing style and Pawan is someone who listens carefully to all the instructions of the coaches. He has got a bright future ahead of him,” said the Arjuna Awardee who has won Asian Games titles during his playing days.
When asked about playing Pawan at a specialist position as a left corner in the defence, the coach replied, “Pawan did start as a right cover defender and slowly has become one of the primary raiders of the team. He is someone who can do both properly and that is why he is a utility player for the side.”
The Bulls have gone into this season with two head coaches and Ramesh believes this has helped the players do well in the league so far. Both Randhir and Ramesh have a fair amount of experience behind them as players and both of them have seen enough as coaches as well. Randhir has been there with the team for last five seasons while Ramesh was with Bengal Warriors and Puneri Paltan prior to joining the Bulls. Â
“I am from Karnataka so I am delighted to be a part of the Bengaluru Bulls team. There will be some difference in the coaching style of both of us. I think the differences in strategies and opinions have gone on to do well for the team. We have a fair understanding between us which is very important for the kind of system that we follow. We have been players so sportsman spirit is of topmost priority for both of us. We both remain in the dug-out during the matches and churn out strategies according to the course of the game,” Ramesh explained.
“Timeout plays a major role in discussing the strategies for the team at crucial junctures during a game. We try to save it till the end for the important moments where there is an urgent need of discussing strategies with the players.”
Speaking about skipper Rohit Kumar, the coach said, “Rohit is a team man and is constantly working towards the overall improvement of the side. He is a gentleman and carries himself really well on the mat which is very crucial for a leader. He needs to continue working hard for his own progress as a star raider of the side.”
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