India began their Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship campaigns with two convincing wins in AhmedabadThe women’s team thrashed Malaysia 73-13, while the men defeated England 46-26, with Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal leading the way
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Snapshot from the India vs England match(Photo: Special arranagement)
India began their Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship campaigns on a strong note on Friday, with the women’s team thrashing Malaysia 73-13 before the men defeated England 46-26 at the Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad.
The Indian women’s team dominated the match from the start, taking a 20-3 lead before going into half-time with a 30-11 advantageCaptain Nidhi Sharma led the side with eight raid points as India controlled both raiding and tackling.
India finished with 40 raid points and 20 tackle points, while Malaysia managed just nine raid points and two tackle pointsThe hosts also inflicted six All-Outs without conceding one.
Sakshi was India’s top scorer with 13 points, including eight raid points and five tackle pointsRenuka, who came off the bench, scored nine raid points from nine raidsAnu added six points, while Karthika Ramesh and Jyoti contributed six and four tackle points, respectivelyMalaysia captain Darsini managed three raid points.
India increased their lead after the break, winning the second half 43-2Renuka scored seven points from six raids during this period as the Indian women completed a one-sided victory.
The men’s team followed with a 46-26 win over England, with Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal leading the attackCaptain Surjeet Singh’s side won the raid battle 32-23 and the tackle battle 8-3India also inflicted three All-Outs without conceding one.
Naveen finished as the top scorer with 12 points, including 11 raid points and one tackle pointNeeraj added 11 raid points, while Pankaj Mohite and Sachin contributed four and three points, respectivelyNitesh and Deepak S added three and two tackle points.
India took control early, building a 15-5 lead before extending it to 23-9 at half-timeThe hosts scored 14 raid points and five tackle points in the first half, inflicting two All-Outs to put England under pressure.
England fought back in the third quarter, winning it 10-7 to cut the deficit to 30-19Milan Kaushal scored five points, while Nayan Yuvraj Dabhi and Ahurajan Ragunathan also contributedHowever, India responded in the final quarter, winning it 16-7 to seal the match.
Neeraj scored six points from four successful raids in the final quarter, while Naveen added four points from two raidsNitesh contributed two tackle points as India secured their third All-Out.
India’s women will face Singapore on Saturday, October 24, at 6:45 PM, while the men’s team will take on Uganda at 8:00 PM.
