Pro Kabaddi 2019: "We hope to remain unbeaten at home," says Jaipur Pink Panthers' owner Abhishek Bachchan ahead of Jaipur leg
Jaipur Pink Panthers have had a rollercoaster ride in the ongoing season of Pro Kabaddi 2019 as they registered seven wins out of first nine matches and went on to remain winless in the next seven outings. They will be returning to Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium, Jaipur for the home leg this season, following their home matches which took place at Panchkula last year.
Jaipur Pink Panthers square off against the Gujarat Fortune Giants in the opening match of the leg and will take on the Bengal Warriors on 22nd September. The hosts will then clash against the Puneri Paltan on 25th September after a two-day scheduled break and in the fourth and final home game, will take on the Telugu Titans on 27th September to culminate the tenth week of the season.
Abhishek Bachchan, owner of the Jaipur Pink Panthers remained positive about his side's fortunes despite the highs and lows the team has faced thus far as he laid emphasis on the need to stay in form and make the most use of the home support on offer.
We have number the one all-rounder, defender, and the entire team looks solid as well. We have the best players in the league. In the six seasons of Pro Kabaddi, I have realized that form is very important. Luck has not been on our side thus far. We have lost quite a few of our matches with a close margin. We are trying our best to improve and the home support will play a crucial part for us to start winning again.
Abhishek Bachchan also emphasized on how the team has been coping with their seven-match winless streak by remaining positive with their game plan ahead of the home leg.
The game can only improve when the players remain devoted to it. Our team management, owners, players, and the support staff believe in playing by putting in 100% efforts. It is the part of the game which we can control by ourselves.
Skipper Deepak Niwas Hooda has led the offense of the team with 110 raid points to his name. In the defense, Sandeep Dhull has emerged as a stalwart with 57 tackle points thus far. However, the failure to work as a unit has seen the team fall to a string of losses.
Hooda shed light on how he plans on winning all matches at home as the season progresses towards its business stages.
We are not looking at the past. If we win our matches with full support from the home crowd, we will qualify for the playoffs. Our past defeats were close losses. Mistakes are a part of our game from which we have learned a lot. We are focusing on our home leg next.
When asked why the team didn't have any Rajasthan-based players this season, head coach L Srinivas Reddy expressed as to how players get picked in the high-tension auction.
We have an auction process comprising of raiders, defenders, and all-rounders. We had a player based from Rajasthan in our previous season but this season we don't. We had planned to procure a few players at the auction but other teams had already selected them for the upcoming season.
Abhishek Bachchan was quick enough to express his thoughts on the same topic.
I don't believe in picking players on the basis of their states. They all are Indian players and play for national side. We currently have players from Sri Lanka and South Korea, still, we believe in playing as a unit. Jaipur Pink Panthers is a team for all fans around the nation. The players we pick are the best ones who have the potential to win matches for the team.
The Jaipur Pink Panthers have a big task ahead to regain their winning momentum as the season is scheduled to come to an end in less than a month. The inaugural season champions have never won the title after the first season and will be keen on putting an end to their title drought.
In a final note, Abhishek Bachchan urged the fans to show up at the stadium and also mentioned how the Jaipur Pink Panthers will always be his favorite team as an owner.
We hope to remain unbeaten at home. We were the only team in the first season of Pro Kabaddi to remain unbeaten in the home leg. I believe home support plays a crucial role in winning. We have been in different cities and found our fans there. Still, Jaipur remains our home. I request the fans to support our team at the stadium.
I have learnt to never give up and inspire my boys to do the same. I tell them not to make a habit of losing and keep pushing themselves. I will always be cheering for my team in both highs and lows. I can proudly say that I am the biggest fan of the Jaipur Pink Panthers.
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