The Patna Pirates unit which got the better of U Mumba in the finals of the third season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi to clinch the title is upbeat about their chances in the 4th season that commences from 25th June. The team, despite their successful campaign last season, have rung in some vital changes to their team and are bullish about breaking the jinx of winners not able to defend the title in the following season.
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Speaking to Sportskeeda, Coach Arjun Singh showed no signs of nerves ahead of the fourth season and made his intentions clear when he declared, “We are here to win and nothing else.”
The coach informed that the squad is busy training for the Pro Kabaddi League and the special focus is on the tactics that they’re going to use in the coming season. The team often engages in Volleyball matches and swimming to keep themselves fit in their training, informed the coach. The coach also is helping the team build mental strength for difficult moments with the help of meditation sessions.
After U Mumba, Patna Pirates has been the most consistent unit in the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi league and has managed to finish in the top four in all the three seasons. The team this season, however, wears a completely different look after the auctions where they retained Pardeep Narwal and Rajesh Mondal and made some big name purchases.As a result, Iranian stars Fazel Atrachali and Hadi Oshtorak will be seen in action together playing for Patna Pirates.
The team also has a new captain in Dharamraj Cheralathan this season, who despite his age of 41, has proved to be one of the best defenders of the Pro Kabaddi League. According to Singh, his captaincy is a boon to the team because the veteran brings with him a lot of discipline.
Also Read: Pro Kabaddi League to start on June 25
Coach Singh was full of praise for the CEO of the team whose cooperation he pointed out as one of the team’s biggest motivation going into the 4th season of the star-studded event. Talking about the team, Arjun SIngh said, “We accept the challenge of being defending champions and I’m fully confident of defending our title for we have a very good mix.”
When asked about which players he thinks will be crucial to the team’s chances, the coach refused to give out any one name. “We play as a unit and we don’t have any star in the team. However, Pardeep Narwal was reserved for some special praise by the coach who feels that the 19-year-old has the potential to be the next big thing in the league.
Bring up the auctions topic to him, and he is quick to point out how the auctions who have made the teams more level and it’s difficult to say which team starts as favorites going into the tournament. As the last season unfolded, it was realized that teams with stronger defence fared better. And the coach also agreed to that when he said, “As the league gets more and more competitive, it is the team with the strongest defence whose chances of winning the league improves.” After such a statement, it comes as no surprise that the team went all out to splurge 38 lakhs on Fazel Atrachali in the auctions.
In the end, Singh gave away his mantra with which he hopes to inspire his team to another title win. The coach also underlined the importance of teamwork in the 40-minute game when he stated, ”It is not about star players. Rather, its teamwork which is the key in Kabaddi.” The team would hope that the coach rubs on his positivity to the team before they start their campaign on 27th June against Puneri Paltan.
