Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], November 2 : U Mumba head coach Gholamreza Mazandarani highlighted his team's strategic approach as they look to turn the tides around and lift themselves from the bottom of the table.
In their last game, U Mumba secured a thrilling 39-37 victory over Jaipur Pink Panthers in their PKL 11 encounter at the GMCB Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
While reflecting on their second victory of the season, Mazandarani stated that keeping a positiving mindset within the team irrespective of the result is something that he tries to ensure.
"I maintain a positive attitude regardless of outcomes, not just when winning. For this match, we had a specific strategy to maximize our margin. While our defense performed well, we made some minor errors that can be corrected. Overall, I'm pleased with the talent displayed," said Mazandarani, praising his team's tactical execution while also acknowledging areas for improvement, according to a PKL press release.
The Iranian coach's faith in his young squad was evident as Ajit Chouhan led the scoring charts with 14 points.
"We ensure every player gets opportunities during practice. We have some very young players, and when they perform well, they earn more chances to play," Mazandarani noted.
Captain Sunil Kumar echoed the coach's sentiments, detailing the team's defensive masterclass and said, "We had a great start with defense - Rinku secured three tackle points at the beginning. Sombir and Parvesh didn't make mistakes," he said, adding that Rohit Raghav's Super Raid proved crucial in securing the win.
The victory saw notable contributions from Rinku and Amirmohammad Zafardanesh, who added 4 points each, while Jaipur's Neeraj Narwal scored 12 points in a losing cause.
Looking ahead to their 'Maha Maharashtra' derby against Puneri Paltan, Mazandarani remained measured in his approach: "We treat all matches with equal importance - there are no easy games. While Puneri has a strong, young team with a good track record over the past couple of seasons, we're also a capable team and will compete hard."