New Delhi: The Uttar Pradesh men’s team won the gold medal in the men’s kabaddi section at the ongoing 38th National Games on Sunday. Led by the masterclass of star raider Arjun Deshwal, Uttar Pradesh defeated the Pawan Sehrawat-led Chandigarh in the final by 57-43 at the Yogasthali Khel Parisar, Roshnabad Stadium in Haridwar.
The early part of the match was the showcase of the Arjun and Pawan – the two prolific raiders in the modern kabaddi – with both of them leading the mantle of their respective state teams. Arjun started with a multi-point raid and also got a touch of his counterpart Pawan. The star Indian raider made tremendous efforts to put Chandigarh in the lead at 16-9 before Uttar Pradesh wrangled their way to take control of the scores at 25-22 moving into the halftime period (a half consi
Arjun came all guns blazing to inflict two all-outs, UP’s third, against Chandigarh in the initial minutes of the second half, extending the lead to 41-25. Vinay Tewatia played the second fiddle to Arjun as Uttar Pradesh crossed the 50-point mark to consolidate the lead. Even after Pawan and young sensation Ayan Lochab made efforts to plunder points for a potential comeback, UP were way ahead of them to finish as the champions during the final whistle as Arjun finished with 19 raid points.
Uttar Pradesh Men’s Kabaddi Team defeated Chandigarh 57-43 in Dehradun to win gold🥇 medal in #NationalGames2025 for the 2nd time in 3 Years. Last time, #UttarPradesh won gold in 2022.
In Women’s Kabaddi at the #38thNationalGames, #HimachalPradesh clinched the title after… pic.twitter.com/7MybShKLyW
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) February 2, 2025
Himachal Pradesh bags hat-trick of gold medals in women’s kabaddi
Himachal Pradesh women’s kabaddi team defeated Haryana by 27-22 margin in the final of the women’s section at the same venue. It was a close contest given the two teams displayed solid performances in the league stage. Unlike the men’s competition which involves each half of 20 minutes, the women’s event is held for a 15-minute half (total match of 30 minutes).
Asian Games 2022 gold medallist Pushpa Rana, the captain of the Himachal Pradesh, was at the front to pick the first two points in her raids before a solid tackle was spot on for a 3-0 lead. Haryana showed immense fighting spirit to push the scoreline to 5-5. Pushpa showed her skills to pocket a slim lead of 10-8 at the half-time. Himachal team backed its strengths despite challenges from the opposition to and imposed an all-out to get a substantial lead. The game was slowed in the final minutes but Himachal players ensured the lead was never squandered.
Himachal Pradesh has now won their third consecutive gold medal in women’s kabaddi at the National Games after emerging champions at the 2022 Games (Surat) and 2023 Games (Goa).
Uttar Pradesh’s men’s kabaddi team, spearheaded by Arjun Deshwal, clinched gold at the 38th National Games, defeating Chandigarh 57-43. Deshwal’s impressive raiding secured a commanding lead. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh’s women’s team secured their third consecutive gold medal, overcoming Haryana 27-22 in a closely fought final. Both teams demonstrated exceptional skill and teamwork. Kabaddi Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
