JOIN USSuperstars of the Bengaluru Bulls in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Manjeet Chillar and Ajay Thakur have been roped in by the Puneri Paltans for the third edition and the duo is looking forward to another great time in the popular new league.
“Change is something that is constant. We can see that players move from teams even in cricket. I was contracted to the Bengaluru Bulls for two years and once that ended Puneri came calling and I moved," said Chillar, speaking on the sidelines of the National kabaddi championships, where he is turning out for Indian Railways.
Apart from being crowd favourites, Chillar and Thakur forged the core of the Bulls with ace catcher Dharmaraj Cherlathan, who has also quit the Bengaluru outfit and moved to Telugu Titans. Puneri weren’t among the top teams in the first two editions but with Chillar and Thakur moving in, they are certain to be a force to be reckoned with.
“The quality of a team is based on the players. Puneri probably didn’t have a strong team in the first two editions but now, with the presence of Manjeet (Chillar), Deepak Hooda and myself, we will be a force to reckon with. There are no strong and weak teams in the PKL, all eight teams boast fantastic players and are equally strong,” said Thakur, who is representing Himachal Pradesh in the Nationals.
Puneri has also roped in former Indian raider and Arjuna awardee Ashok Shinde as the coach. “He (Shinde) is a very good coach. Of course his accolades speak for themselves. For me, personally, as a raider I can gain invaluable experience from him,” said Thakur.
With the South Asian Games and the World Cup around the corner, the players could be exposed to injuries during the upcoming PKL, leading to a safety first approach but Chillar said there won’t be any dip in commitment.
“Playing for the nation will always be more important than the PKL. Injuries happen only if we are lacking fitness, so it is in the hands of the players. The intensity of our game always remains the same wherever we play as we are professionals,” said the Arjuna awardee.
Both Chillar and Thakur had special praise for the Bengaluru fans. “The support we received from the crowd here was fantastic. We may be representing Puneri but we will never forget the supporters in Bengaluru,” said Thakur.
Chillar echoed Thakur's thoughts. “We firmly believe that we have won plenty of fans here and no matter where we go, their support will be with us.”