Bhaskaran Edachery on Friday resigned as the coach of Pro Kabaddi outfit Tamil Thalaivas after a string of poor results that have left the Chennai side in danger of missing out on the playoffs for the third straight season.
Edachery, who took over as the team’s coach ahead of last seaso,n struggled to turn the fortunes around for Tamil Thalaivas who finished bottom of their zone, winning just five games in season six. Despite recruiting experienced stars like Rahul Chaudhari, Mohit Chhillar and Ran Singh, Tamil Thalaivas have continued to struggle in season seven and find themselves in the 11th spot with 27 points from 13 games, ten points behind U Mumba, the last team in the qualifying spots.
Tamil Thalaivas began the new campaign with three wins and a tie in six matches but lost their way in their home leg which they ended winless, losing three and drawing one match.
With the team on a five-game losing streak, Bhaskaran has decided to step down as the coach of the team.
In a statement posted on his Instagram account, the former India coach suggested he did his job with great honesty and put all his experience into the role but things did not go the way he and the franchise had wished
“So my two-season journey with Thamil Thalaivs came to an end as I resigned from the post of the chief coach of the Tamil Thalaivas. Sometimes things work in your favor and sometimes they don’t. I have tried most honestly as a coach and put in the 28 years of my coaching experience into the Thalaivas squad but unfortunately, we didn’t get the results that we all had desired and that’s how every sport is,” Bhaskaran wrote.
“You win sometimes and you lose sometimes. So I own the full moral responsibility for it and resign from the post. It was a great honour to coach a team that comes from the ‘Home of Kabaddi’ and a team which has 2 Arjuna Awardees and a Padma Shri player. My heartiest best wishes are always with the team and blessings with the players,” he added.
Former India coach J Udaayakumar is set to replace Bhaskaran, according to a report in Sportstar, but the franchise is yet to make any statement on Bhaskaran’s departure or the appointment of a new coach.
Tamil Thalaivas play league leaders Dabang Delhi in their next match in Pro Kabaddi on Sunday in Kolkata and any attempts to revive their campaign must begin from there.