Over at Patna Pirates, head coach Anup Kumar addressed the franchise’s glorious past while keeping focus on the present. “Legacy has been good for Patna Pirates, but legacy doesn't stay with one team forever, as far as I think. Players keep changing...This season is a new season."
Sanjeev Balyan, Manpreet Singh
As the Pro Kabaddi League gears up for its highly anticipated Season 12 opener, coaches across franchises are approaching the new campaign with confidence, fresh perspectives, and a renewed focus on team-building and adaptability. The league kicks off on August 29 at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Vizag, where hosts Telugu Titans face Tamil Thalaivas in a much-awaited clash.
Despite opening the season away from home, Tamil Thalaivas head coach Sanjeev Balyan remained composed during a virtual media interaction, brushing aside any talk of pressure. “Every coach wants to win, and we want that too. Both teams are good – Telugu Titans is good but we are good too. We'll see who starts well, who wins. There's no pressure because there is no pressure. When playing on the mat, you don't even know what the public is saying. Pressure comes only from winning,” Balyan said, exuding calm assurance.
Over at Patna Pirates, head coach Anup Kumar addressed the franchise’s glorious past while keeping focus on the present. “Legacy has been good for Patna Pirates, but legacy doesn't stay with one team forever, as far as I think. Players keep changing. When Patna won three consecutive seasons, the team was different, coaches were different. It was the same when they played the final twice. This season is a new season...The effort is what all coaches want - that the start should be good, and the effort is to do what Patna Pirates couldn't achieve last season."
Season 12 introduces a revamped format, expanding playoff qualification from six to eight teams, along with a new tie-breaker rule and the introduction of the Golden Raid. The changes have been well received by coaches, who see it as a sign of the league’s evolution.
Manpreet Singh, head coach of defending champions Haryana Steelers, welcomed the changes. “The league is growing bigger, and kabaddi is getting bigger with these format changes. This format is very good because teams that fall behind still have chances to come back till the very end. We'll try our best to defend the trophy,” he said.
Bengaluru Bulls’ newly appointed head coach BC Ramesh acknowledged the weight of expectations after a disappointing previous season. “There's a lot of pressure on me. Bengaluru Bulls followers depend heavily on us. Everyone has the same hope that they had from previous teams –they think this team will also perform the same way. I have a big responsibility now...” he said.
For Bengal Warriorz, youth is the way forward. Head coach Naveen Kumar revealed the team’s strategic pivot toward younger talent. “We decided to build a young team, and all these faces are new and young. Our strength is being a young team because they have more hunger to prove themselves...” he explained.
Meanwhile, Puneri Paltan’s coach Ajay Thakur highlighted the importance of defence. “I'm trying to ensure that my team's defence is good, that raiders support in defence. Defence wins matches. I believe that whichever team has strong defence, that team becomes the champion,” he noted.
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