Sports News | Maharashtra, Haryana, Services Advance at 71st Senior National Kabaddi Championships
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. The knockout stages of the 71st Senior National Kabaddi Championships kicked off on Saturday with four compelling Round-of-16 clashes here, setting up two mouth-watering quarter-final matches.
Cuttack, Feb 22 (PTI) The knockout stages of the 71st Senior National Kabaddi Championships kicked off on Saturday with four compelling Round-of-16 clashes here, setting up two mouth-watering quarter-final matches.
Defending champions Haryana, who were guided by star PKL players like defender Yogesh Kathuniya and raider Ashu Malik, were pushed hard by Tamil Nadu in what proved to be the most competitive fixture of the day.
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Despite Tamil Nadu's spirited resistance, Haryana's superior raiding unit helped them secure a 48-41 victory in a high-scoring contest.
The Naveen Kumar-led Services demonstrated why they remain one of the tournament favourites with a clinical dismantling of Madhya Pradesh. The servicemen's disciplined defense and aggressive raiding combination proved too much for Madhya Pradesh to handle, resulting in a commanding 57-22 scoreline.
Punjab, another kabaddi powerhouse, made light work of Bihar with a dominant 47-18 victory. Their experienced squad controlled the proceedings from start to finish, barely allowing Bihar any momentum throughout the match.
Host state Odisha's campaign came to an end as they fell to Maharashtra 26-43. Despite vocal home support, Maharashtra had guidance from the likes of Akash Shinde, Ajit Chouhan and Pankaj Mohite as they steadily built their lead before securing a comfortable win.
The results have set up two intriguing quarter-final match-ups. Haryana will face Services in what promises to be a tactical battle between two disciplined units, while Maharashtra will look to continue their impressive form against Punjab.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)