Hisar (Haryana), Jul 17 (IANS): Pro-Kabaddi League team Haryana Steelers announced on Sunday that veteran Kabaddi player and Dhyan Chand award recipient Manpreet Singh has joined as chief coach for the franchise ahead of the 2022-23 PKL campaign.

One of the most recognizable faces in the Indian kabaddi circuit, Manpreet has represented India at the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games and won gold with the Indian team at the 2007 Kabaddi World Cup. Joining him in the Steelers dugout would be Neer Gulia, who joins as coach.

"This is an incredible team that has improved every season in the Pro Kabaddi League and I'm really glad to join them. I consider myself lucky to have received this opportunity because I've lived in Haryana for a very long time. And as a coach, I am eager to bring the best players out of Haryana. I'm really motivated for the season ahead and our target is to bring the trophy home," Singh was quoted as saying by Haryana Steelers in a release on Sunday.

Singh had captained Patna Pirates to their first-ever PKL title in 2016, before calling time on an illustrious career as a player. In 2017, he was named Head Coach of the newly-formed Gujarat Fortunegiants. An incredible debut season saw the Fortunegiants make their way into the final, where they went down to Patna Pirates.

Gulia, who has been named Assistant Coach, represented India between 2001 and 2004 and was Manpreet Singh's teammate in the 2002 Asian Games-winning squad. The duo has worked alongside together in the Gujarat Fortunegiants' runners-up campaigns in PKL 5 and PKL 6. Gulia was also presented the Eklavya Award by the Govt of Gujarat in 2003 for his outstanding performances in sport.

"I'm really happy to join the Steelers family. We've worked together for Gujarat previously, and we have a good feeling about this team. Haryana is known for being a hotbed for kabaddi, and we're excited to see that it fulfills its potential. We're eager to see the PKL coming back to Haryana, and perform better than we had in previous seasons," Neer Gulia was quoted as saying in the release.