Captained by the talismanic Fazel Atrachali, the Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants have made a solid start to the final week of the year 2023 with a couple of fantastic wins in Season 10 of the Pro Kabaddi League. Wins against the UP Yoddhas and the Tamil Thalaivas have put them in a strong place, ahead of their game against the Bengal Warriors, on New Years' Eve. Reflecting on the wins, coach Ram Mehar Singh said, "While the opposition put a lot of focus on the likes of Fazel, one of the big turning points in our game against the Tamil Thalaivas was when Parteek got going. We played a dominant game for the majority of the match, and despite our mistakes, we could see that we were in the driver's seat."
"Parteek played a big role in the attack and in the defensive side of things, and I am happy about that. Even Rakesh did very well. The opponents targeting Fazel had helped us, as the likes of Sombir also were able to step up with their performances in the captain's absence when he had to sit out."
Speaking about the influence of his skipper, Ram Mehar explained, that having someone like Fazel in his corner is very helpful. "The captain is always motivating the players, whether it is in the match or during training sessions, the skipper is continuously giving the players a pat on the back. Even if the coach has been a little tough on them for a mistake. Fazel is an example for all the captains, even the new ones in the game. I am delighted to have a captain like him. My captain often takes on a coaching type of role when he is on the mat because of the experience he has."
The Gujarat Giants were the most dynamic team when the competition began in Ahmedabad, and they are keen to end the year on a high, and the captain is happy that everyone in the team is stepping up as and when required.
"We have been playing as a team and the Tamil Thalaivas were concentrating a lot on me, but in that time it was good to see the other members come in and score the points," the captain said.
Looking ahead, the coach said, that the Adani Sportsline owned Gujarat Giants will first look to go a winning streak for at least a few more games before they can breathe a bit easier. And captain Fazel said, "Maninder is a good player, but I think I can tackle him. From our next training session our focus will be on the Bengal Warriors but I think now we are playing better as a unit, so things are more in control in the defensive side of things. And with the Bengal Warriors team, one needs to keep Maninder quiet, if he does well then, they do well. Unlike us, if Parteek doesn't do well, then Rohit will or Rakesh will and I think we are in a good place."