Interview with Bhaskaran Edachery: "The aim is to win the Pro Kabaddi League"
U Mumba and India head coach, Bhaskaran Edachery has an extremely tight schedule as his team will play the league opener against Jaipur on the 18th. But, he was still kind enough to talk to us about his team’s objective this year, his early days in Kerala and the importance of team chemistry.
Here are the excerpts:
Q. How has your team’s pre-season been? Last year, there were talks about clubs not getting enough time to prepare for the tournament?
Well this year it has been very different. We have had ample time to work on the tactical aspects of the game. The team has had time to gel and looks good heading into the tournament. Well not just us, but all the teams look in much better shape this year. Last year, teams were settling into the tournament and that always takes time.
This season, every club has made reinforcements in both the attacking as well as defending departments. Last season important players in key positions like the right zone and left corner were missing for a number of teams. This year that’s not the case.
Q. How has the experience been coaching U Mumba in comparison to guiding team India?
Well it hasn’t been difficult to make that transition. If there is any difference, it lies in the squad. When I am coaching India, I have a more experienced set of players. At U Mumba, we have a number of youngsters who we believe can make a big difference in the near future. The long term objective is to have a large, talented group of homegrown players from all around the city. It’s been a great experience overall.
Q. What inspired you to take up the sport?
Honestly, we weren’t from an upper class society. People from those societies never ever considered playing the sport. They just didn’t embrace it. But for us, it was an extremely inexpensive way to play a sport and have some fun. It didn’t require money to play the game in our village Kannur, in Kerala. There are more than 300 local teams in the state. People in my state are always sport inclined and we were just looking for an inexpensive sport to play and came across kabaddi. It’s a different thrill playing this contact sport.
Q. How far do you think your team can go in this tournament?
This year our strength lies in team chemistry and co ordination. Every player knows his role but at the same time understands their team mate’s role equally well. In the end, kabaddi is a team sport. An individual alone cannot make a huge difference. Overall we have a balanced squad and I believe the understanding that exists between the players will take us to the final this year. The mood in the camp is exciting. The aim is to win the Pro Kabaddi League.
Q. Which other team do you think will be hard to beat this time around?
There are 2-3 teams that look strong and could go far this year. Jaipur Pink Panthers and the Bengaluru Bulls have great squads.
Q. What has been the highlight of your coaching career so far?
The 2010 Asian games that my boys won was truly memorable. But at the 2014 Asian games, I saw the best performance from the women’s team. When you practice with dedication, it feels great to see the rewards for working hard.
Thank you for your time, see you at the stadium
Yes for sure. We hope the crowd will arrive in full strength and create a great atmosphere in the stadium.