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Pro Kabaddi: Puneri Paltan halfway through, with mountain to climb
11 matches played, 11 remaining and play-off qualification is anything, but guaranteed
Pune: At this year’s Pro Kabaddi League Season 7, Puneri Paltan has played 11 matches, with 11 remaining. For Puneri Paltan it has been slow paced journey so far - won four, tied one and defeat in six matches.Currently the team is placed No. 10 on the points table with 25 points. A lot of work to be done to make the play-offs, then.
“We have not played that good or that bad,” is how coach Anup Kumar explains his team’s performance in the first 11 matches. It was injury to Nitin Tomar which turned out to be a hurdle in the first five matches.
His return made a difference as Paltan’s raiding department improved. The rise of Manjeet has also helped the squad. Defence is something which will be a concern for coach Anup Kumar. Led by Surjeet Singh, the defence has struggled to maintain the momentum set by the team’s attack
In a few matches where Surjeet clicked – the defence looks completely different; but if he has an off day, then the team has struggled. With Girish Ernak out for the next match due to injury, it will be a chance for defenders like Balasaheb Shahaji Jadhav, Sagar Krishna, Shubham Shinde and Hadi Tajik to stand up and be counted.
Nitin Tomar believes that the defence has power to demolish opponents. “With players like Surjeet, Girish, Hadi we have a solid and watertight defence and they have been working hard to improve their skills on the mat,” says Tomar. However, all the current evidence is to the contrary, at least in terms of the defence being consistent.
Shantaram Jadhav, senior Kabaddi coach, Pune, said, “Communication and combination play very important role in kabaddi. When we talk about Puneri Paltan, they don’t have proper combination and their weak link is in defence. Raiders are bringing in points, but defence is not up to the mark.”
Young players to the fore
The one thing which has clicked for Paltan consistently in the first 11 matches is the performance of its young players.Whether it is Pankaj Mohite, Amit Kumar or Balasaheb Shahaji Jadhav, whichever player has got the chance, he has managed to perform better than senior members.
“We have a very promising bunch of young players in Puneri Paltan like Pankaj (Mohite), Sushant (Sail), Balasaheb Jadhav. I feel these youngsters have a lot of potential,” says Nitin Tomar
