JOIN USRaider Harish Naik wistfully watched from the sidelines as Bengaluru Bulls ended their campaign in the Pro Kabaddi League on a sorry note last season.
Bulls, with five wins, eight losses and a draw, finished sixth on the table with 32 points in the fourth season.
Naik, the only player from Karnataka in the team in 2016, did not play a single game. He was deemed too young and was left out of the line-up to give place to senior and more experienced players.
"Last time I didn’t receive too many chances because there were many senior players in the side but it was a great exposure for me," Naik said.
The 20-year-old has since been preparing himself by taking part in various national and zonal competitions, with the new season looming large.
"I have played in senior nationals and south zone tournaments. I have also played for SBM (State Bank of Mysore), my company, in department nationals," he explained.
In a bid to strengthen their team, Bulls went on a spending spree and bought raider Rohit Kumar for a whooping 81 lakhs, making him the second costliest player in the auction.
The experience of Rohit combined with the defending abilities of Pardeep Narwal, who won the title with Patna Pirates along with Ravinder Pahal last time, has made the squad better. "The team is better than the last time.
We have good players in both defence and attack. We have quite a few experienced players also in our side," felt Naik.
At the same time, the Bulls youngster is hopeful of getting some playing time this season. "I am preparing well and doing well in matches. Senior coach Ramesh (BC) has helped me a lot and I am confident. This year, I am ready for the big stage and I am sure I will receive more opportunities," he said.
Naik also stressed on the importance of local tournaments to develop talent in the state. “Such tournaments spot players from clubs and colleges. It helps them develop their game and also get opportunity to play in big leagues. Apart from this, players get a lot of exposure from these tournaments and they get good match practice,” he said.