Pro Kabaddi League 2017 Season 5: We have a diamond in Jasvir Singh, says Jaipur Pink Panthers coach Balwan Singh

For the first 10 minutes of the Zone A contest between the table toppers Gujarat Fortunegiants and the Jaipur Pink Panthers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Sunday, it seemed that an encore of their previous showdown in the Ahmedabad leg was about to happen. Gujarat comprehensively beat Jaipur there, posting a 27-20 victory.

They started with the same spirit and aggression and led 6-2. Things, however, changed soon after that as Jaipur pushed the leaders on the back foot, making a mockery of both their attack and defence and carving out a 31-25 win. As Gujarat fell like a pack of cards, one man stood out - the ever dependable Jasvir Singh.

The veteran accumulated a total of six points on the night and was the one who forced the first All Out of Gujarat from which the Ahmedabad franchise could never recover.

Jaipur coach Balwan Singh thus did not shy away from profusely praising the former captain during the media interaction. His tactical brain is extremely valuable for the Panthers, the coach admitted.

“We have a diamond in the form of Jasvir Singh. He has such a creative mind and knows exactly how to control the game. I have been with him for 12 years in the national camps and know how brilliant he is. He got the Arjuna Award this year which he fully deserves.”

Jaipur did not have their full strength squad as they were without the services of their regular skipper Manjeet Chhillar. But it did not hurt the former champions as they came fully prepared and displayed that on the mat.

Jasvir pointed out that this will boost their confidence further.

“Despite missing a player as accomplished as Manjeet, we still managed to beat the Zone A table toppers. It is indeed a huge boost of confidence for us. We are absolutely delighted with the outcome.

Our team will become even better when Manjeet returns,” he promised.

When pressed further about when Chhillar would be back to resume his captaincy, the Jaipur coach, however, evaded that question.

The Gujarat coach Manpreet Singh, in contrast, was a picture of disappointment and could hardly offer any explanation for his team’s collapse.

Crestfallen and short of words, Singh honestly admitted that nothing was working for his boys after those first ten minutes, although he credited Jaipur’s patience for effecting the turnaround.

“Jaipur played with a lot of planning and patience. We have to accept that we did not play well. We too had certain plans but nothing could be executed properly.

"We failed in both attack and defence.”

With a hint of optimism, Singh said they will not only look to improve in all areas, but also ring in the changes for their next few matches so that their losing streak ends at just two.