Defending champion Haryana retains Under-14 girls title
Gudivada (Krishna district):Defending champion Haryana once again stamped its authority in school-level kabaddi by retaining the title in the 69th School Games Under-14 Girls Kabaddi National Championship, registering a commanding 51-24 victory over Himachal Pradesh in the grand finale held at the Dr Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) Stadium at Gudivada in Krishna district on Friday. With the defeat, Himachal Pradesh had to settle for the runners-up position, while Maharashtra secured third place, pushing Tamil Nadu into fourth place.
The five-day School Games National Championship was organised by the School Games Federation of Krishna district, in association with the School Games Federation of Andhra Pradesh (SGFAP), under the aegis of the School Games Federation of India (SGFI). The concluding day drew a good turnout of players, officials, and kabaddi lovers, making the finals a memorable sporting spectacle.
The final match was witnessed by several dignitaries, including Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) President and Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath alias Chinni, Gudivada MLA Venigandla Ramu, AP Warehousing Corporation chairman Ravi Venkateswara Rao, SGFI Kabaddi Tournament observer Natwar Singh, and SGFAP Secretary G Bhanumurty Raju. Prior to the start of the final, the organisers introduced the finalist teams, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, to MP Kesineni Sivanath and other guests.
The title clash began on an even note with Himachal Pradesh winning the toss and opting to raid first. The opening exchanges were intense as both teams traded points quickly, forcing Haryana to take their first time-out when the score was level at 5-5. Soon after, Haryana gained momentum with a sharp combination of raiding and tight defence, taking a 9-6 lead, which compelled Himachal Pradesh to call for a time-out.
Haryana continued to dominate the proceedings and extended its lead to 14-8, following which Himachal took its second time-out in an attempt to regroup. However, Haryana maintained pressure throughout the first half and went into the break with a comfortable 26-10 advantage.
In the second half, Haryana’s raiders executed swift raids while the defenders applied effective blocks and tackles, widening the margin steadily. With the scoreboard reading 48-19, Himachal Pradesh tried to stage a late comeback, taking the score to 48-21 in the final minutes. But Haryana remained unstoppable and finished the contest strongly at 51-24, successfully lifting the championship trophy for the second consecutive time.
In the match for third place, Maharashtra, last year’s runners-up, delivered an all-round performance to defeat Tamil Nadu by 34-16. Maharashtra dominated from the start, building a healthy lead and going into half-time at 19-9. They continued the same tempo in the second half and were ahead 27-14 in the closing stages before sealing the match convincingly at 34-16 to claim the bronze position.
Following the conclusion of the final match, the prize distribution ceremony was held at the Dr Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) Stadium in Gudivada. Gudivada MLA Venigandla Ramu, AP Warehousing Corporation Chairman Ravi Venkateswara Rao, and other dignitaries presented the winners’ and runners-up trophies to champions Haryana and runners-up Himachal Pradesh, respectively. The third and fourth place trophies were awarded to Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
NTR Stadium Committee vice-chairman Yalavarthi Srinivasa Rao, joint secretary K Ranga Prasad, Gudivada deputy educational officer Konda Ravi Kumar, School Games Federation Krishna District Secretaries M Aruna and Gampa Rambabu, NTR district secretary T Sri Latha and several other officials and organisers were present on the occasion.
