Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: Telugu Titans captain Rahul Chaudhari upset with team after last-minute loss to UP Yoddha
The Lucknow leg of the fifth edition of the Pro Kabaddi League came to a close on Thursday and saw the UP Yoddha finally get their first win at home. Up against the Telugu Titans, the Yoddha did not disappoint their fans and edged out their Zone B rivals in a closely contested match, with captain Nitin Tomar taking his side to the win with a fine show.
The match ended 25-23 in favour of the Yoddha, with the side from Hyderabad left fuming in the end. They have struggled to win all season and captain Rahul Chaudhari was quite upset after the match.
He commented, "We played very well and also had a lead of three points in the end. However, a needless mistake by both the corners sent our efforts down the drain. We conceded too many points in the start as well, that allowed our opponents to make their way into the game."
Chaudhari completed 600 points in the Pro Kabaddi League but seemed unfazed by his own feat. For him, winning games is more important than personal accolades. "If we would have won our last few matches, I would have crossed 600 much earlier," he stated.
Unlike the previous few days, Nitin Tomar was a cheerful man at the post match press conference. He said, "I managed the team well today and made sure that I spent more time on the mat. We decided to send in Surender (Bhola) more to raid in the first half and he played a very good game. We desperately wanted to win this match and I am glad we were able to deliver."
He added, "We managed the clock well in today's game. Both teams have lost a lot of matches so far and this time, I'm happy our strategies worked for us in this match."
The Yoddha coach Udaya Kumar looked relaxed as well and said, "The team's defense today did a wonderful job today. We made changes in our lineup, which benefitted us."
He praised his side's character and stated that his side's impressive performance towards the end of the match was crucial. "The players gave it their all today and played their hearts out. The team's performance in the last three minutes was brilliant and those three minutes helped us win the game."
Rishank Devadiga, on the other hand, cut a quiet figure, after a poor performance that saw him end up with not even a single raid point. However, the coach appreciated his efforts and said, "You cannot have a good day every day and it's understandable to have one bad outing."
It was a happy ending to what has been a turbulent week for the UP Yoddha at home. Now, the action shifts to Mumbai for the fifth week of the three-month long kabaddi extravaganza.