PKL 2019 | First match as coach was surreal experience despite negative result, states Anup Kumar
Puneri Paltan coach Anup Kumar has said that they need to improve on all fronts and learn its lessons from its first match but it was a great feeling to participate in a match as a coach. Meanwhile, opposition coach Rakesh Kumar revealed he found it hard to not go out on the mat and play himself.
Former World Champions and Indian legends, Rakesh Kumar and Anup Kumar enjoyed a lot of success in the Pro Kabaddi League but both have now resigned themselves to the position of coach. In the first match of both the Puneri Paltan and Haryana Steelers in the seventh season of the league, both of them made their debuts as the coach and shared their experience of what it was like to lead their team from the sidelines.
“I couldn’t stay in my seat. The official close to our technical area kept telling me to be in my seat and not go into the playing area (without a timeout), but these are habits that I developed as a player. So, it’s going to take some time to adjust, but I’ll manage,” Haryana Steelers coach Rakesh Kumar exclaimed.
His team’s raider Naveen put in a brilliant performance to start his team’s campaign on a winning note as they emerged triumphant with a scoreline of 34-24.
“Our plan was to let all three of our raiders, Selvamani K, Naveen and Vinay have a go and then decide who gets to raid the most. Naveen looked in great touch, so we let him do the bulk of it. We told him to focus on his footwork and work their flanks rather than the inside. We knew they would try some advanced tackles and that’s exactly what happened,” the Arjuna Award winning coach added.
His counterpart wasn’t as successful in his first attempt, though he will have many chances to improve with the entire season lying ahead of him. He did seem to have enjoyed his experience as a coach.
“It was a surreal experience. But the result is obviously not the one we had hoped for,” exclaimed Anup Kumar.
“We can improve in defence as well in offense. This was the first game of the season and we made some mistakes. We’ll definitely look to rectify them in the upcoming matches,” the 35-year-old added.
His next challenge will be a local derby against the Mumbai based franchise U Mumba who also lost their latest game against the Jaipur Pink Panthers.
“Obviously, it’s a big game. A Maharashtra Derby in Mumbai will draw a lot of support for the home team. We’ll have to play much better than we did today to win. U Mumba have a good defence and a versatile raiding unit. So, we’ll try to strategize accordingly,” the veteran concluded.
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