Haryana Steelers emerged victorious in their match against Puneri Paltan on Wednesday as they defeated them by a 37-30 scoreline.
It was a clash between two friends. Haryana is being coached by Rakesh Kumar and Puneri Paltan’s coach is Anup Kumar. It was the third clash between these two coaches, and Rakesh has come out on top against Anup every time.
Their friendship goes a long way back, and it is no secret that both of these legends of the game have been friends for years. Their friendship and camaraderie used to be visible even when they played against each other as captains in the initial seasons of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Also read 👉 Steelers end winless streak with 7-point win; Titans register first victory in season 8
Rakesh used to lead Patna Pirates, and Anup Kumar was in charge of U Mumba in those days. Fans got a chance to see their relationship from close quarters when Rakesh joined U Mumba in season 3.
Anup was still the captain of U Mumba then, but leadership came naturally to Rakesh too, so whenever Anup wasn’t on the mat, Rakesh took the responsibility on his shoulders.
Anup ended his playing career at the Jaipur Pink Panthers, while Rakesh retired as a player of the Telugu Titans.
In an interview with Spotskeeda, Rakesh was all ecstatic about his friendship with Anup:
“We are good friends. The whole world knows that. You can also say that we are like family members, but we need to be professional while playing the game.
I had one thing in mind that whoever wins today, there will be no loser. Our friendship will win. I won today, but he would be happy.
Even if he had won, I would have been happy. Our friendship emerged victorious.”
Rakesh might have said this, but knowing how competitive both these legends are on the field, both would still want to win against each other whenever they face each other next.
