Top teams march into knockouts at 51st junior national kabaddi championship
Vijayawada: Defending champions Haryana, along with host Andhra Pradesh, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bihar, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chandigarh, have entered the knockout stage of the ongoing 51st Junior (Under-20) National Kabaddi Championship for Boys.
The prestigious championship is being hosted by Andhra Pradesh Kabaddi Association on League cum Knockout basis at Sri Seetharama Gardens, Edupugallu, in Kankipadu mandal of Krishna district, near Vijayawada.
The Andhra Pradesh team put up an impressive performance, registering two consecutive victories in the league stage to confirm its berth in the knockout round. Pre-quarterfinal and quarterfinal matches are scheduled to begin from 3 pm onwards on Saturday (January 17).
Vijayawada West MLA Yalamanchili Satyanarayana Chowdary alias Sujana Chowdary, and Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao are expected to attend the knockout matches as chief guests.
The tournament was formally inaugurated by Minister for Mines & Geology and Excise Kollu Ravindra, along with Penamaluru MLA Bode Prasad, who interacted with the players and encouraged them to give their best. As many as 450 kabaddi players and officials from 29 States are participating in the championship, which has drawn strong competition from across the country.
Several dignitaries attended the event, including Nandamuri Vishnu Vardhana Rao, proprietor of Sree Seetharama Gardens, along with his sons Krishna and Chandra. Kabaddi officials, tournament manager Vishwas More (AKFI nominee), Andhra Kabaddi Association Working President N Arjuna Rao, General Secretary Yalamanchili Srikanth, and Madhya Pradesh Kabaddi Association Secretary JC Sharma, Andhra Pradesh Kabaddi Association representatives KV Nancharaiah and Tokala Sudhakar alias Bujji were present. The opening league matches of 51st Junior National Kabaddi Championship witnessed a series of high-intensity and action-packed encounters, keeping spectators on the edge of their seats.
Host Andhra Pradesh made a strong statement by registering convincing victories over Manipur with a dominant score of 53–21 and later defeating Kerala 44–24, showcasing their all-round strength and tactical superiority.
Other league matches also produced impressive performances, with Himachal Pradesh crushing Odisha 74–29, while the Sports Authority of India (SAI) outplayed Telangana 76–32. Punjab displayed complete dominance against Jharkhand with a comprehensive 64–17 win. Goa emerged as another strong contender, recording back-to-back victories against Jammu & Kashmir (56–26) and Jharkhand (53–26). In one of the closest contests of the tournament, Tamil Nadu edged past Puducherry by a narrow margin of 43–42, drawing loud cheers from the crowd.
The action continued on the second day, Friday, with teams maintaining the same competitive intensity. Rajasthan secured a comfortable 53–20 victory over West Bengal, while Uttar Pradesh defeated Delhi 46–26.
Bihar dominated Kerala with an emphatic 68–26 win, and Jharkhand bounced back strongly by overcoming Jammu & Kashmir 58–36. Delhi also put up an impressive show, registering a convincing 64–18 victory against Tripura, further adding to the excitement of the league stage.
