Puneri Paltan will benefit from having one of Indian kabaddi’s most respected names in its dugout during ProKabaddi League Season-7.
Anup Kumar replaces Ashan Kumar as head coach, after announcing retirement from active play in the sixth edition of the league.
The player auction on Monday will be his first step towards building a team. The celebrated ex-India captain’s thinking will be reflected in the moves he makes towards team formation.
Experienced in calming nerves during big-match situations and an expert in snatching bonus raid points, he has figured in three PKL finals with U Mumba and Jaipur Pink Panthers. He also won two Asian Games kabaddi golds for India.
The Pune franchise is yet to qualify for the final in six seasons, hence the move to sign a recently-retired pro is a timely move.
For Anup also, the shift from playing to coaching is logical. He joins another winning PKL captain to shift roles from player to coach (after Patna Pirates Manpreet Singh who is in charge of Gujarat Fortune Giants).