"We will try not to disappoint the fans" - Sachin Tanwar ahead of the Patna Leg of Pro Kabaddi 2023
Sachin Tanwar has been a star raider in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and has been associated with Patna Pirates for the last three years. He was playing for Gujarat Giants from PKL 5, but his stint with them ended in 2019.
Sachin impressed everyone with his performances by accumulating 172 and 176 raid points in PKL 8 and 9 respectively. He was a part of the Patna Pirates team in PKL 8, when they lost the final by a one-point margin to Dabang Delhi K.C.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Sachin Tanwar talked about his experience playing with a group of youngsters in the Pro Kabaddi 2023. He also emphasized his personal milestones and the importance of fitness and training in avoiding injuries.
Excerpts from Sachin Tanwar's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda
#1 The team’s performance has been a little inconsistent after a good start to the tournament. What is going wrong, and what do you think should be done differently?
Sachin Tanwar: The defense has been a problem for us (Patna Pirates) since it puts the whole team under pressure in the last five to three minutes. Even in situations where we have a healthy lead over the opponents, the raiders who take points constantly come under pressure due to the lack of support from the defenders. This is something that is constantly going wrong for us.
#2 Patna Pirates have a lot of youngsters in the team, like Ankit, Sandeep, and Sudhakar. Is it the inexperience of the players that leads to mistakes like these?
Sachin Tanwar: Yes, there are a lot of youngsters in the team, but we have experienced players like Neeraj Kumar, who is the captain as well. It is important for the youngsters also to gain experience and they will get it eventually. We will have to brief them and ask them to stay calm constantly so that errors won’t happen in the upcoming matches.
#3 Narender Kumar Redhu and Anil Chaprana are the coaches for Patna Pirates this season. What were the things that you were able to learn from them, and what is the plan for the season ahead?
Sachin Tanwar: Before the Pro Kabaddi 2023 started, our (Patna Pirates) camp was in Chandigarh. They trained us in every aspect, like taking the bonus, ways to tackle problems, and letting us know the mistakes that we are making immediately. Even our fitness training was taken full care of by these two. We cannot ask for better coaches than Anil Chaprana sir and Redhu sir.
#4 Your speed has seemingly increased this edition, and you've also put a lot of new skills on display. What is the secret to your recent good form?
Sachin Tanwar: Fitness has been the one constant thing for me both during the off-season and during the camps that we have pre-season. That helped me immensely in improving my speed on the mat.
#5 You are the lead raider for Patna Pirates. The support raider spot has been volatile though, shifting from Manjeet to Sudhakar and now to Sandeep in certain matches. How do you think this issue can be resolved?
Sachin Tanwar: Everyone on the team wants to play well, and they will have to step up whenever they get an opportunity. Manjeet played well at the start, and it was the same with Sandeep and Sudhakar. In the end, it is a team sport that we play, and everyone has to perform well.
#6 How excited are you for the Patna leg, and how is the preparation coming along?
Sachin Tanwar: Of course, Patna is our home venue, and we would like to give the fans what they expect of us. There is going to be a lot of support for our team in the home leg, and we will try not to disappoint the fans and their expectations.
#7 In the initial years of the Pro Kabaddi League, Patna Pirates won the title thrice. What do you think has been lacking the last few years?
Sachin Tanwar: Patna Pirates are one of the good teams in the league, and we have won the title thrice in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League. We reached the finals in season eight but lost by a close margin in the final game. This year has been full of ups and downs, but we will try to bring out the best of our abilities in the upcoming matches.
#8 Individual performances have always worked for Patna Pirates, and you are performing well this year. Last year, we saw Mohammadreza Chiyaneh performing well too. Neeraj and Ankit also seem consistent, but the team’s performance has not been up to the mark. What do you think is the reason for this?
Sachin Tanwar: We have good players like Neeraj, Ankit, and Sandeep, who are consistent in their approach. They also lack confidence at times when their performances are not good on that particular match day. On such days, we have seen Sudhakar step up and perform well for Patna. We have to play together as a team as we have a good squad.
#9 Do you have a personal milestone set for yourself in this edition of Pro Kabaddi?
Sachin Tanwar: My personal milestone is to win as many matches as I can. The ultimate goal is to win the trophy for my team this edition. We have already lost in the finals, and I was a part of that team. So, I want to get my team the trophy, which is my milestone.
#10 Talking about the national team and keeping the Kabaddi World Cup in mind, what do you think you need to do to stay in the team and perform well?
Sachin Tanwar: I just have to give my best, take care of my fitness, and stay away from injuries when I play for India, as it is a national team that we are representing. If I do well in Pro Kabaddi, I can perform well in national matches as well.
#11 What are your picks for an All-Time playing seven?
Sachin Tanwar: I would pick myself, Sunil Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Vikas, Neeraj Kumar, Bharat Hooda, and Naveen Kumar as the All-Time playing seven.
This interview was conducted by Deepa Ramasubramanian.