Our team is as strong as Patna Pirates, we will focus on our strengths: Haryana Steelers defender Mohit

Bengaluru : After going down 24-46 against Bengaluru Bulls, Haryana Steelers will face off against the table-leaders Patna Pirates in their final league game of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 8, here on Saturday.

Haryana Steelers defender Mohit opened up on the loss against Bengaluru Bulls and explained how the team will look to bounce back in the all-important fixture against Patna Pirates.

“The match against Bengaluru Bulls went at a faster pace than we wanted it to go. We were All Out twice, and our raiders could not perform well. Our defence also made some errors,” Mohit said.

“The match against Patna Pirates is very important for us to win as our qualification into the next stage of the competition is dependent on it. We cannot give up thinking that Patna Pirates are a strong team. We have played them before and the match went well for our side. Our players have spoken with each other and we are confident we can give them a strong challenge again,” Mohit added.

On being asked about how challenging will be the contest considering the opposition, Mohit said that Haryana Steelers have equally strong players in the squad.

“Our team is equally strong. We know we have to play together as a unit to beat Patna Pirates. We have it in our minds to slow down the pace of the match as per our strategies and focus on our strengths,” Mohit said.

“The defeat against Bengaluru Bulls was a very good learning experience for us. We recognise the mistakes we made and we are confident we will improve upon them in tomorrow’s match,” he added.

Mohit also explained how vastly experienced Coach Rakesh Kumar and the senior players in the team keep the squad motivated after a bad day on the mat. The experienced defender added that winning or losing does not make a team or a player a bad performer.

“It is always difficult to bounce back after defeat. But we have senior players in our team and our coach is also vastly experienced. They tell us that winning or losing is part of a sport. One match does not make anyone a bad player, or one loss make any team a bad team,” Mohit said.

On being asked about the preparations going into the contest, Mohit revealed the advice being shared by coach Rakesh Kumar to the players before the match.

“Our Coach Rakesh Kumar has been telling us that we should not take any extra pressure. He is asking us to give our 100 percent focus on this match and to win this game, keeping a free mind. Our coach motivates all the players and tells everyone that we are good players. It really helps us,” he signed off.

–IANS