'Balanced squad' and new leadership for UP Yoddhas ahead of PKL Season 12

Lucknow, Aug 21 (PTI) Head coach Jasveer Singh on Thursday said UP Yoddhas have built a balanced squad for the upcoming Pro Kabaddi League Season 12 and are preparing in earnest for a successful campaign.

"We have built a squad that balances experience with exciting new talent. The focus has been on giving our young players the confidence to play with freedom, while the senior members provide guidance and stability," Singh said during the team's jersey unveiling event here.

Newly-appointed captain Sumit Sangwan said he felt honoured to lead the team and vowed to repay the faith in him with strong performances.

"It is an honour to lead UP Yoddhas. The team has shown immense faith in me, and I want to repay that by delivering strong performances on the mat. We have a tight-knit group, and with the support of our fans, we are determined to make this season memorable," Sangwan said.

Assistant coach Upendra Malik told PTI that the balance across departments would be the team's biggest strength this year.

"This time we see the teams from Tamil Nadu and Haryana as main challenges but we are confident of making it to the finals on the basis of our balance in the team which has a good number of experienced players and young enthusiastic ones," Malik said.

The team has retained 13 players from last season, while also bringing in fresh faces from the auction. Six players have been promoted from Yuva Yoddhas, the franchise's developmental side that trains at the UP Yoddhas Academy, a state-of-the-art facility.

Ashu Singh has been named vice-captain. UP Yoddhas, who finished third last season, will begin their campaign against Telugu Titans in Visakhapatnam on August 30. PTI KIS AH AH