PKL 2019 | Monu Goyat hopes to stay “injury free” in season 7
After struggling for the majority part of the sixth edition in the PKL, Monu Goyat is hopeful of remaining injury-free in the ongoing season of the league. He along with Rishank Devadiga and Shrikant Jadhav form the raiding unit for UP Yoddha which Goyat believes is a strong one in the tournament.
Monu Goyat became a household name in 2018 after he was picked up for a record price of Rs 1.51 crore by Haryana Steelers during the auctions for the sixth edition of the league. However, his performance didn’t vindicate the price tag that was attached to him last season and the primary reason being him getting injured. He also had to shoulder the responsibility of being the captain of the side considering the fact that Surender Nada was ruled out of the entire tournament because of the hand injury.
Goyat was under some pressure during the league and with the injury taking a toll on his body, he had to sit out during a couple of games for Haryana last year as well. Goyat had managed to get a total of 160 raid points from 20 games in 2018 season.
Meanwhile, during the 2019 auctions in April, he was released by Haryana Steelers and UP Yoddha showed interest in getting him in the side. It was the fourth team in four years in the league for the 26-year-old raider. After representing, Bengal, Patna and Haryana, Goyat was picked up by the team from Uttar Pradesh for a whopping price of 93 lakh rupees. The star raider is hopeful to stay fit in the entire season and take the team into the finals of season 7.
“U.P Yoddha has given me a chance this season and I really hope to stay free of injuries, unlike the previous season. I wish to perform with team spirit and take the team to the finals and give my full support to the team,” Goyat told SportsCafe.
Pretty much like the last season, the Noida-based franchise have three quality raiders in the team. Rishank Devadiga and Shrikant Jadhav were there in the last edition as well and with the addition of a big name like Monu, the team has become even stronger in the seventh season. With the trio in the side, the Yoddha will want to go a step further as far as the raiding is concerned from the last time when they had Parshanth Kumar Rai along with Jadhav and Devadiga.
The former Haryana skipper had the services of Vikash Kandola who took over as the main raider for Haryana last year and performed beyond expectation. Goyat has opined that with full support from others, a raider feels lesser pressure on his shoulders and makes him play freely.
“This time I have Rishank and Shrikant. Our raiding unit looks strong. When you have other raiders to back you there is less pressure because you can play freely. A partner in raiding helps make the game easier for you. You know that if you don’t succeed then there is someone else to help you out,” the star raider mentioned.
UP Yoddha has a very good coaching unit with two experienced coaches like Jasvir Singh and Arjun Singh with them. It was under the guidance of Jasvir that UP Yoddha has been making into the playoffs in their first two seasons in the tournament. This year, the main aim for the side will be on the trophy and they will want to take a couple of steps further from the last two years to lay their hands on the coveted silverware.
“I have had a good relationship with coach Jasveer Singh as I have worked with him before during the departmental games. He is a very good coach, he understands his players very well. Words are less to describe how much he helps a player during the matches.
“Coach Arjun Singh is also very nice and I am very happy that I got an opportunity to be with him. The whole supporting staff is very helpful and frank. They understand each other’s problem and I am delighted to be a part of this team. It feels like home in UP Yoddha,” Goyat signed off.
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