NE SPORTS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, SEP 30
Adani Sportsline’s team Gujarat Giants on Friday announced Chandran Ranjit, Left Raider, as the captain of Gujarat Giants ahead of the highly anticipated season 9 of Pro Kabaddi League set to kick off on October 7 at Shree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru in Karnataka.
Addressing a press conference at The Leela Hotel in Gandhinagar, Chandran Ranjit expressed his pleasure on being trusted with the role by the team management.
- Will guide Gujarat Giants team to the best of my abilities, says Chandran
- Left Corner Defender Rinku to be the vice-captain of the team
- Head Coach Ram Mehar Singh and his deputy MV Sundaram speak about team’s strategies
- Return of fans will boost players’ morale, says Rinku
“I am excited to take over the responsibility of the Captain of Gujarat Giants for Pro Kabaddi League Season 9 and I wish to express my gratitude to the team management for putting their faith in me. Gujarat Giants has always been a franchise committed to popularising homegrown sports of India. Our fans have always supported us every year and also made their voices heard. I will guide my team to the best of my abilities,” said Chandran.
Head Coach Ram Mehar Singh spoke on the team’s strategies for the upcoming season and gave a sneak peek into the work being done behind the scenes. Along with the veteran head coach and assistant coach M V Sundaram, Rinku, the marquee player and the vice-captain for the franchise this season, and new young players Parteek Dahiya and Rakesh also attended the press meet.
“We, at Gujarat Giants, believe in our slogan ‘Garjega Gujarat’. We always aim to give a great performance on the mat and entertain Kabaddi fans with our thrilling action. Our team captain is the senior most and aged 30 while the youngest one is Parteek Dahiya, 18.5 years,” said the head coach.
“Under the able guidance of and support from Adani Sportsline, we have prepared our tactics and strategies for the coming season, keeping the strengths of our squad in mind. We will take each game as and when it comes and strategise our gameplan according to the team we face,” added Ram Mehar Singh who had led Patna Pirates to the title in 2017 and runner-up finish last year.
Ram Mehar Singh was the captain of the Indian team that won gold medals at the 1998 and 2002 Asian Games. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2003.
Answering a query on promoting local talent in traditional sports – kabaddi, Singh said, “Adani Sportsline will catch young talents from Gujarat and groom them to become professional kabaddi players. All government departments and PSUs offer jobs to sportsmen to sustain them economically and get name and fame for the country in the global arena.”
Speaking with navjeevanexpress.com, assistant coach MV Sundaram, said, “I have worked in the army for more than 30 years and Ram used to be in the Air Force – since 1996. I used to play for the Army and, he used to play for the Air Force. We have been friends since then. Since both of us are former Defence servicemen, discipline is of utmost importance to excell in any field. Apart from that we handpick youth with right aptitude and talent from all over the country irrespective of the state.”
The Gujarat Giants franchise used the occasion to introduce its squad to the fans, and also spoke on how the return of fans will help the players in bringing out the best in them.
“Every athlete wants to compete in front of the fans. There is a different energy in the stadium when the fans are cheering in the stands. Even though we will not be competing in our home grounds, Gujarat Giants has garnered fans all over India, and we cannot wait to meet them,” said Rinku, who earned 60 Tackle Points last season.
Adani Sportsline-owned Gujarat Giants forayed into Kabaddi in 2017 and has been a runner-up twice in 2017 and 2018. It has also organised school outreach programmes with an objective of promoting homegrown sport of Kabaddi at the grassroots level. Apart from Kabaddi, Gujarat Giants participates in Ultimate Kho Kho League and Legends League Cricket. Additionally, Adani Sportsline also owns and manages team Gulf Giants with International League T20, UAE, and organises the annual Adani Ahmedabad Marathon, one of the top 4 runs in India.
