Jaipur, Jun 22 (IANS): A culture to nurture players at a young age is the reason behind Haryana's success in producing players that go on to represent the national team, says Maharashtra Ironmen star Vijay Singh.

The Ironmen have been on song in the inaugural Premier Handball League (PHL) as they have already qualified for the semifinals of the tournament. The team has been playing as a unit and left-back Vijay Singh also has a fair share of contribution in Maharashtra Ironmen's fantastic run to the last four.

The Ironmen have won seven matches and are on top of the table with a total of 15 points. Vijay Singh feels that the team will be able to continue their performance in the last four as well and their aim now is to win the PHL title.

Vijay Singh comes from Sirsa, Haryana and started handball at the tender age of 12 when he was in his 7th standard in his hometown. Like Vijay, there are many handball players in the state who dream to play for India in various international tournaments and now the Premier Handball League (PHL) also gives them a platform to showcase their talent.

The player revealed that Haryana has the right culture to nurture young talents which helps them to produce multiple international players.

"Whenever you hear that this person is an athlete, the first thing that comes to your mind is that the player must be from Haryana. This is the culture of our state that everyone wants to be an athlete at some point in their life," commented the player.

"In our state, we always see top players from different sports around us which really inspires us. A number of players also get to represent India which fuels our dream as well. The facilities in the state are very apt to nurture young talents and turn them into top-class players. We often receive a lot of support from everyone around us," Vijay Singh was quoted as saying by the franchise in a release on Thursday..

He said the Maharashtra Ironman players are confident of going all the way in the PHL.

"All the players are really confident after a strong showing in the nine matches of the league. We lost only one game and that too because it was our first match and players needed some time to gel together. You can see our performance once we got into the rhythm and I am confident that we will play well in the remaining matches as well," stated Vijay Singh.

"The credit also goes to the Maharashtra Ironmen's supporting staff, who worked really hard with us and made sure that we give our best in the matches. They did their best to keep us mentally fit and strong. So, it is also our duty to give our best on the court and win the trophy for them and the fans," he added.