"They didn't steal those points and bring them from Pakistan" - Haryana Steelers coach Manpreet Singh on a tied fixture against Puneri Paltan in Pro Kabaddi 2022
Haryana Steelers coach Manpreet Singh expressed his thoughts on his side's tied contest with Puneri Paltan in Match 43 of the Pro Kabaddi League 2022 played at the Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune on Friday.
Playing in front of a jovial Pune crowd, the home side had immense support as they cheered for every point that the Paltan scored. However, the Steelers pulled off what could be considered an upset, making a strong comeback in the second half and holding Paltan to a tie.
Manpreet responded to a question asked by Sportskeeda in the post-match press conference and elaborated on how the game panned out. He lauded the opposition coach, BC Ramesh's strategy and planning.
"We played well at the start, Puneri Paltan took control in the middle and in the end, we made a good comeback. Both the coaches' planning and strategy were really good today."
On being asked whether he would rate his side higher, Manpreet responded that he would rate both sides equally as even the opposition scored the same number of points in the contest. He further stated that none of the twelve teams in Pro Kabaddi Season 9 are weak and plenty of planning needs to be done against each side.
Manpreet also revealed the importance of having multiple plans against various sides as there can be situations where the initial plans fail to come to fruition.
"Even they scored twenty-seven points in the match. They didn't steal those points and bring them in from Pakistan. We made a good comeback in the end. None of the twelve teams are weak. You have to plan and strategize. If your Plan A fails, you have to make Plan B. If that fails, you have to make a Plan C."
दोन्ही टीम्स नी घेऊन टाकलं आज, नाही का? 🥵
Good Game tonight, @PuneriPaltan 🤝🏻🔥
#HarDilHaryanvi #DhaakadBoys #HSvPUN #vivoProKabaddi https://t.co/ojvbtMuKT8
"No one can predict when momentum will shift" - Manpreet Singh on volatility of the game
Manpreet went on to speak about how in Kabaddi, momentum shifts happen over the course of the forty minutes, which plays a massive role in determining the outcome of the contest. These shifts cannot be predicted and even a raider cannot predict the outcome of a particular raid that he is going in for.
"Kabaddi is a physical contact game. In the forty minutes that the game is played, no one can predict when momentum will shift. Even the raider himself cannot predict when he will be successful or unsuccessful. Both sides played really well and some good kabaddi played between the two sides."
The Steelers are caught in the middle-muddle of the points table and are placed sixth with the same number of points as the Bengal Warriors and U Mumba. They will play the Bengaluru Bulls next and will be looking forward to getting a win under their belt.