PHL 2023: Maharashtra Ironmen players have potential to play for India regularly, says coach Gahlawat

A superb start in the inaugural Premier Handball League (PHL) by Maharashtra Ironmen has convinced head coach Sunil Gahlawat that his Indian players have the capacity to play for the country on a regular basis and make it to the Asian Games squad.

Maharashtra Ironmen have been on a song in the ongoing PHL as they won six matches in a row to stay at the top of the points table and move closer to a spot in the semifinals. Head coach Gahlawat thus is really impressed with the performance of the players and praised his team for all the right reasons.

He explained that training with the gumball (a type of handball used in international competitions) in the right facilities before the start of the tournament has affected the performance of the players in a positive way.

“We had our camp before the start of the tournament which was really crucial considering the fact our players don’t usually train with a gumball in the kind of facilities we have at Maharashtra Ironmen. The players gave their all in the training and it helped them to get into the sync ahead of the tournament,” stated Sunil Gahlawat.

“We haven’t lost a single match, which speaks volumes of the quality this side has. Every player wants to give his best for the team and I hope we continue this performance in the upcoming matches,” he was quoted as saying by the franchise in a media release.

After the remarkable performance in the league, a number of Maharashtra Ironmen players are confident of making the Indian squad for the upcoming Asian Games which will take place in Hangzhou in September-October.

The coach is confident that several athletes from the squad will be able to represent India in the Asian Games.

“The league has been like a camp right before the trials for the Asian Games and I am confident that a lot of our players will be able to represent India. Many of our players have already represented the Indian handball team and I feel some new ones will also get a chance this year to fulfil their dream. The players have a lot of quality and will look to prove themselves on bigger stages,” Gahlawat concluded.

 (IANS)