The youngest member of the team, Vadodara boy, Manush Shah credited Manav Thakkar for giving the team a flying start and Harmeet for keeping the momentum going against Delhi.
The three-time Olympian MM Somaya was an elegant right half-back in his prime, concedes that Haryana, Punjab and Kerala, who have been dominating the medals table in recent years, cannot be ignored.
The 29-year-old, who along with Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, began the medal charge on the international stage, sees great promise and potential in the next line of players
The majestic stadium, inaugurated in December 1998, has been all decked up for the National Games with bright and colourful branding inside the stadium.
Gujarat's fans are even more excited as their own stars, Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar will lead their state's challenge. The duo joined the squad on Friday after completing their international commitments and are raring to go.
Jaspal has been instrumental in shaping the careers of several youngsters, including Manu Bhaker, Saurabh Choudhary and Anish Bhanwala while working with the junior national squad.