India Kicks Off Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship with Strong Victories
India Launches Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship
On Friday, India commenced its Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship journey with impressive performances, as the women's team triumphed over Malaysia with a score of 73-13, while the men's team secured a 46-26 victory against England at the Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Women's Team Shines Against Malaysia
The Indian women's squad took control early, establishing a significant 20-3 lead and extending it to 30-11 by halftime. Captain Nidhi Sharma led the charge with eight raid points, showcasing India's strength in both raiding and tackling. The team amassed 40 raid points and 20 tackle points, while Malaysia managed only nine raid points and two tackle points, suffering six All-Outs without inflicting any on India. Sakshi was the standout performer, scoring 13 points, including eight raid points and five tackle points. Renuka also made a notable impact off the bench, contributing nine raid points from her nine raids. Anu, Karthika Ramesh, and Jyoti added six, six, and four tackle points, respectively. Malaysia's captain, Darsini, led her team with three raid points.
In the second half, India further asserted their dominance, winning 43-2, with Renuka scoring seven points from six raids and finishing the match with a 20-0 run in the final quarter.
Men's Team Defeats England
Following the women's success, the men's team delivered a strong performance against England, winning 46-26. Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal were pivotal in this victory. Under the leadership of Captain Surjeet Singh, India won the raid battle 32-23 and the tackle battle 8-3, achieving three All-Outs without conceding any. Naveen emerged as the top scorer for India with 12 points, including 11 raid points and one tackle point, while Neeraj Narwal added 11 raid points. Pankaj Mohite and Sachin contributed four and three points, respectively, and Nitesh and Deepak S provided three and two tackle points.
India took an early lead of 15-5, which they extended to 23-9 by halftime, scoring 14 raid points and five tackle points in the first half and inflicting two All-Outs. Although England attempted a comeback, winning the third quarter 10-7 to narrow the gap to 30-19, India responded decisively in the final quarter, winning it 16-7. Neeraj Narwal scored six points from four successful raids, Naveen added four points from two raids, and Nitesh contributed two tackle points, securing India's third All-Out of the match.