U Mumba appoints Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan as new head coach
Pro Kabaddi League side U Mumbai has announced the appointment of Sanjeev Kumar Baliyan to replace Iran’s Gholamreza Mazandarani after a fairly successful season. Baliyan has previously managed Patna Pirates to the title in the third season before leading Railways to National Kabaddi Championship.
After finishing second in the Zone A group with 86 points off 22 games, U Mumba had to eventually lose to UP Yoddha in the Eliminator 1. However, that wasn’t the reason for the Mumbai-based franchise to part ways with their Iranian coach. It was reportedly the visa issue that saw Mazandarani leaving the job.
U Mumba CEO Supratik Sen has revealed that getting visas of Iranian coaches is a pain, something the players don’t face. “When it comes to getting a visa for an Iranian coach, there are issues. He is able to reach only a few days before the preparations, then
After sailing the Iran national side to a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games, Gholamreza had also played a crucial role in bringing in Fazel Atrachali to Mumba for Rs 1. crore. While replacing him would be a tough task, Baliyan would also be a good and experienced option for U Mumba with his previous achievements on the domestic circuit, as Sen pointed out.
“Sanjeev Kumar is a proven coach at the Nationals and earlier in Pro Kabaddi. We are happy to have him,” he said.
While fans would be feeling that Kumar could be a big influence ahead of the player auction for the 2019 PKL season on Monday, Sen stated otherwise. “Players are chosen after careful assessment, so
It has also be learnt that Baliyan would be assisted by Upendra Kumar, who has been retained from last season by the club. Gholamreza’s next move, at this point, is not known.
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