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After his team’s close-fought 38-36 win against Tamil Thalaivas at the SMS Indoor Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday, Haryana Steelers head coach Manpreet Singh etched his name in the history books. The former player turned coach became the first head coach to register 100 wins in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).
Reflecting on achieving this historic feat during the post-match press conference, Manpreet Singh shared, “This is the first time a head coach has registered hundred wins in the Pro Kabaddi League. It’s a matter of great pride for me that this record belongs to me. I’ve won the tournament as a player and as a coach, and now this. It feels amazing.”
Matter of great pride: Manpreet Singh on 100 PKL wins
“I’m really happy to be the first coach to achieve this. Hopefully, the other coaches soon achieve this feat too. I’m delighted that my boys have won four games on the trot in this Jaipur leg”, he added.
Sharing some insight into what he’s learnt from his former teammate and current Tamil Thalaivas head coach, Sanjeev Baliyan, Manpreet said, “He's a brilliant coach. When I won the trophy with Patna Pirates in Season 3, I was the captain, and Sanjeev Baliyan was our coach. “He was a great player, and is still a good friend and a brilliant coach. I’ve learnt a lot from him and as I grow older, I’m learning a lot more. Even as a coach, he’s always so calm and that’s something I’m still learning from him.”
The PKL11-winning head coach also shed some light on his young recruit, Mayank Saini, stating, “Mayank has been training with us since the last couple of seasons. He would have been in our team last year, but we had spent our budget on Shadloui. This season, I fought with team management to ensure Mayank joins the team this season. Now, he’s our star.”
“The entire team is fond of him, especially our captain. He’s also very talented. The way he played today, it’s going to motivate him going forward. It’ll also give him the experience, and we want that for him, so he can not only represent us in the PKL but also India one day.”
(With Inputs from Press Release)
