It was a nerve-jangling contest between Tamil Thalaivas and Bengal Warriors, but eventually, Bengal Warriors emerged victorious with a 35-26 victory over Tamil Thalaivas at the Thyagraj Stadium in Delhi on Thursday. The match was all about raids, K Prapanjan, Maninder Singh along with Rinku Narwal completed their super 5’s in the match.
K Prapanjan and Ajay Thakur even completed super 10’s for their respective sides, but the weak defense cost Tamil Thalaivas the match, but despite the loss, Ajay Thakur was the star of the match. The excitement to win the Arjun Award was visible on his face.
In the post-match press conference, Tamil Thaliavs coach Bhaskaran E, captain Ajay Thakur took questions for their team while Bengal Warriors were represented by skipper Maninder Singh and coach Ramesh BC.
Question- Ajay you have completed 800 points in pro kabaddi. What do you have to say about the loss
Ajay Thakur – Look this is a team game, I don’t believe in individual performances. I want that every player should contribute then only we can win. Sometimes raider perform, but defense is below par or vice versa. This is what is happening to us, we make some silly mistakes during crucial moments and we are working on it.
Question – Are you concerned about Rahul Chaudhary’s form?
Ajay Thakur– You can’t say he is out of form. He is trying hard; yes, he is going through a rough phase, and will soon find his touch. He is working hard and surely make a comeback.
Question- Manjeet made a comeback, but defense is leaking a lot of points. So your take on that?
Ajay Thakur – He is coming back from injury, but will soon his form back. The boys are trying, but I agree there are some technical errors and we will surely rectify them in the upcoming matches.
Question-Do you think that if the top raider doesn’t perform then you team struggle badly during the match
Ajay Thakur– It’s not like that. We have some raiders like Rahul Chaudhary, Shabeer Bapu and myself, but only one player can go for raid. The problem is we make silly mistakes during crunch situations and we need to work on that.
Question- Arjun award and Padma Shri in same year, how do you feel?
Ajay Thakur– Every award matters, but I am very happy with Padma Shri more because this was the first occasion when a Padma Shri is awarded to a kabaddi player. It is a tribute to my performances and consistency over a decade. It was my dream and I am living it.
Question- Who would you dedicate the Arjun Award to?
Ajay Thakur-I would dedicate the award to my parents, my teachers and everyone who coached me. No one individual, but everyone who supported me.
Question-Any message for your Tamil fans?
Ajay Thakur– I thank every fan who supported me during the thick and thins. I have played for many teams, but the way Tamil people loved me, no one did.
