Interview with Patna Pirates captain Manpreet Singh: "Hope to inspire budding sportspersons in Patna with this win"
The Patna Pirates lifted the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League trophy after a scintillating win against the defending champions U Mumba. In a truly nail-biting encounter, the Pirates never conceded the lead over the course of the 40 minutes and held their own in the final minutes to keep the Mumbai side at bay. The last two minutes saw each raid become increasingly crucial and a point of time, it looked as if U Mumba had done enough to clinch the victory but an inspired substitution and raid saw them deliver when it mattered the most.
The final ended at a 31-28 scoreline in favour of the Pirates in a game that will be remembered for years to come by those who witnessed it. Anup Kumar and co gave it their all and fought till the very end, but it was in vain as they would eventually fall three points short. Speaking to the press while wearing a shirt that read ‘Champions 2016’, Patna skipper expressed his delight on his team’s incredible victory and spoke about how his side were planning to celebrate this win.
“We shall be travelling to Patna with the trophy where we will have an open celebration with all our fans. My phone has been ringing like crazy throughout the tournament as fans have been calling me day and night with their best wishes. I am glad that my team has given them this moment of joy and we hope to build on it in the next season as well,” said Manpreet.
He hopes that this victory will inspire people in the state to play more and push them to strive for greater heights. He said, “Patna is not known for its sporting culture and is behind many cities when it comes to sport. I sincerely hope that this win helps motivate the youngsters to play kabaddi and other sports and win medals for the country.”
When asked who had the biggest role to play in his side’s achievement, Manpreet lauded his team’s owners and said that they provided everything the team needed to win and were unequivocal in their support. They provided all the facilities his team asked for and signed some of the best names in Indian kabaddi to give the Pirates a genuine shot at the title.
“We asked the management to provide a training camp at least 25-30 days before the tournament began. To our surprise, they gave us a 45-day camp with all the facilities we had asked for. We are grateful to the owners for everything they have done for us,” said the Pirates skipper before leaving to celebrate with his side.