By News18,Vivek Ganapathy

Copyright news18

Puneri Paltan captain Aslam Inamdar opened up on a multitude of topics during JioStar’s media day as he touched up on balancing the roles of a raider and a captain, Head Coach Ajay Thakur’s philosophy, managing workload, and the bond within the team through their strong youth academy.
“I don’t let the raider in me affect my captaincy. You have to play according to what the game demands,” Inamdar said addressing the act of balancing the raider- captain equation.
“I’ve been in this field for 15 years, and I know my potential. I’m confident. Sometimes, you have to step back for the team. Even if someone scores 200–250 points in a season, and if the team finishes 8th, 9th, or 12th, it’s of no use,” he added.
“As captain, I have to stay on the mat and keep the team stable, even if I don’t score a point. Winning is what matters. If a raid is on, I don’t hold back, I go for it. I’ve come back from injury, and I know I can do better. I’m happy with how I’m playing now. I’m confident and make decisions for the team,” Inamdar explained.
He also spoke about the team’s philosophy under the watchful eye of head coach Thakur stating, “Improvement is continuous; you can’t stay at one level.”
“There will be shortcomings and off days. The coach and I tell the boys, ‘When you lose, don’t treat it as the end; when you win, don’t get overconfident. Learn and move forward. Negative thoughts only create problems.’ Ajay Thakur sir and I continue to coordinate and work on our gaps,” he revealed.
“His message is simple: ‘Play your game, play well, and the team should win.’ He trusts our potential and guides us on where to improve. He knows us well, and that’s what makes this team special,” the skipper explained.
Inamdar also spoke about the chemistry and the bond between the team that has been built through their strong youth system that helps in galvanizing the side.
“Every season, auctions bring different players, and some teams rebuild from scratch, which can be a struggle, because coordination takes time. The advantage with our team is that most of us have spent the year together with Yuva Paltan, so our combinations click,” he reflected.
“I know the players well, they know me, and the confidence is high. We’ve been playing together for 5–7 years. When you’re together all year, you understand each other and that makes the difference,” the raider added.
He also opened up on the chacne to feature alongside Aditya Shinde and Pankaj Mohite for a prolonged time and the pros of the rapport the players have developed.
“We’ve been training with Yuva Paltan and have been together since 2021. We know each other’s game really well, both mind and body. During matches, that gives us confidence because we know who handles pressure and who can get the point in different situations. That understanding helps the team a lot. Overall, our bonding is excellent, and it shows,” he said.
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