With the team registering their third win of the season in spite of the absence of senior players like Manjeet Chhillar and Selvamani K, Jaipur Pink Panthers team owner Abhishek Bachchan seemed satisfied with his team’s performance against UP Yoddha. Riding on Jasvir Singh’s late surge, Pink Panthers edged past UP Yoddha 24-22 in Lucknow.

“If you see Jaipur Pink Panthers tradition, then we lose our first match. So, I tell them (players) that it is our ‘kaala teeka’. It is almost our tradition but I don’t know when we will break it. It is an important thing to know that it’s a sport and I tell all my teams, be it football or kabaddi, that winning or losing is a part of the game. Even if you lose, make sure you have given your best out on the mat.”

While Abhishek was in the stands supporting his side in Lucknow, it was not the first time that he is travelling with the team. During a post match press conference, the 41-year old Bollywood actor revealed that he likes travelling with the team as he feels that he can contribute in team’s success by supporting and encouraging the players. Playing their fifth game, Jaipur played in the absence of their captain Manjeet Chhillar.

Manjeet Chhillar:

“Today we went to the mat with a depleted squad with Manjeet (Chhillar) not playing. Selvamani is also injured. And we have built our team on these two players. And it does affect the team. Moreover, Jasvir who has been with us from the beginning and the captain too and thus I always rely on him. And today he along with the youngsters stepped up and delivered.”

With the tournament to run across for three months, injuries are the major concern for the teams. When asked about the team is looking forward to cope up the absence of seniors, Abhishek said, “You all don’t know that two of our other players are playing injured too but they are still playing. If I ask Jasvir to play and even if he is injured, he will be ready to play for the team. And that’s what I want to see in a team. Whether they end up playing or not, whether we rest them or not but the emotion to go and play for the team is important. And I’m proud of my team that we have such players who are ready to play in spite of not being fully fit.”

Abhishek feels his side is more like a family and not like a team and you fight for your family. Calling the win over UP Yoddha as their greatest win, the Junior Bachchan credited the youngster for a stellar show. “If you look at the match, the last all out on UP Yoddha was the turning moment. From the sidelines, I was shouting at Jasvir not to try the scorpion kick. But UP played fantastically as the game was neck-to-neck. They should not be upset by today’s loss,” Abhishek concluded.