Commonwealth Kabaddi: India Men and Women Crush Opponents in Opening Clash
India's men and women's teams start the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship with dominant victories over England and Malaysia in Ahmedabad.
India has signaled its intent to dominate the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship with a pair of powerhouse performances on Friday. Playing on home soil at the Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad, both the Indian women's and men's teams secured commanding victories to kick off their respective campaigns in style.
Women's Team Rout Malaysia in One-Sided Affair
The Indian women's team delivered a masterclass in kabaddi, dismantling Malaysia in a staggering 73-13 victory. From the first whistle, India exerted total control, quickly racing to a 20-3 lead and heading into the halftime break with a massive 30-11 advantage.
Captain Nidhi Sharma led from the front with eight raid points, but the overall team effort was overwhelming. India's dominance was reflected in the statistics, recording 40 raid points and 20 tackle points, while restricting Malaysia to a meager nine raid points and just two tackle points. Most impressively, the Indian side inflicted six All-Outs without conceding a single one.
Key Performers for the Women
- Sakshi: The top scorer of the match with 13 points (8 raid, 5 tackle).
- Renuka: A game-changer off the bench, scoring nine raid points from nine raids in the first half, and adding another seven points from six raids in the second.
- Anu: Contributed six points to the tally.
- Karthika Ramesh & Jyoti: Provided defensive stability with six and four tackle points, respectively.
The second half was even more lopsided, with India winning that period 43-2. The rout reached its peak in the final quarter, where India scored a flawless 20-0 to seal the match. Malaysia's captain, Darsini, managed only three raid points in the face of the Indian onslaught.
Men's Team Outclasses England
Following the women's victory, the Indian men's team took to the mat and secured a convincing 46-26 win over England. Led by captain Surjeet Singh, the hosts established an early grip on the game, building a 15-5 lead and extending it to 23-9 by halftime.
India's superiority was evident in both departments, winning the raid battle 32-23 and the tackle battle 8-3. The hosts also dominated the touch points, registering 24 compared to England's nine, and inflicted three All-Outs without allowing any in return.
The Stars of the Men's Match
Naveen Kumar emerged as the leading scorer for India with 12 points, comprising 11 raid points and one tackle point. He was closely supported by Neeraj Narwal, who contributed 11 raid points. Other notable contributions came from Pankaj Mohite (4 points) and Sachin (3 points), while Nitesh and Deepak S added three and two tackle points, respectively.
England's Brief Fightback
Despite the overall dominance of the hosts, England showed resilience in the third quarter. Led by Milan Kaushal, who scored five points, along with Nayan Yuvraj Dabhi and Ahurajan Ragunathan, England won the period 10-7 to narrow the gap to 30-19.
However, any hopes of a comeback were extinguished in the final quarter. India responded with a clinical 16-7 surge. Neeraj Narwal scored six points from four raids, Naveen added four points, and Nitesh secured two tackle points to clinch the third All-Out of the match and ensure a comfortable victory for India.