Puneri Paltan made terrific bids in Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) auction as they signed Iranian player Mohammad Esmaeil Nabibakhsh for a whopping Rs. 87 Lakhs followed by his compatriot and star defender ‘Sultan’ Fazel Atrachali for a staggering Rs. 1.38 Crore.
The franchise retained ten players ahead of the auction and added the Iranian duo to help strengthen their defence ahead of season 9 of the PKL.
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Ahead of the new season, Puneri Paltan have stepped up their training and practise with a strong emphasis on team bonding and skill development. With the experience of players like Sultan Fazel and Mohmmad Nabibakhsh coupled with the massive potential of youngsters such as Aslam Inamdar, Puneri Paltan are quite optimistic of having a successful season in the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League.
BC Ramesh, Head Coach of the Puneri Paltan has high ambitions for the team this season and spoke about how Fazel’s presence helps the youngsters in the team. Speaking exclusively on Star Sports show ‘Total KBD’ he said , “It’s my thinking and even Fazel’s that Puneri will be the champions this season."
He added, “We have very young players in our team. All are good raiders and good defenders as well. Now we needed an experienced player who could captain the team. A defender who could push the team, play well and is a good player back at the left corner. And for that we bought a player like Fazel Atrachali. There is a lot of concentration on fitness and we are working on getting even fitter this season and to perform well. Having good competition among the youngsters will help us improve and increase our fitness as well, which will prove good for the team."
While speaking about the importance of upcoming season for the team, Sultan’ Fazel Atrachali said, “This season, I want my team to be the champions and this is very important for me." He added, “I am working very hard for this and I hope I play good this season."
Ramesh commended how the Sultan’s leadership has a positive effect on the team and how he martials his teammates to support them in every situation. He said, “Fazel has to guide the raiders based on the situation. He can read the opponents well and advise which players could win maximum points for the team. Whether it would be an offensive or defensive catch, Fazel will be planning it out with the team."
Aslam Inamdar, Puneri Paltan’s all-rounder spoke about how Sultan Fazel guides the team and acts as a role model for the youngsters around. He said, “Our team lacked seniors and experienced players and having Fazel has filled up that spot." He added, “He guides us well during practice and we perform the drills accordingly. His team bonding is very good, he includes all the players along and he’s been very supportive towards us too."
(Catch all the action from vivo Pro Kabaddi League Season 9, October 7th, 2022, onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on the Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar)
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