Kolkata, July 22 (IANS) A last ditch attempt from the defence ensured Bengal Warriors full points against defending champions Jaipur Pink Panthers in a thrilling game of the Pro Kabaddi League Season 2 at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.
The locals won 28-26 in the match watched by a crowd of around 5,000 people.
With only seconds left on the clock, Warriors had to pin down the raider and they did so with some style bagging three points, and with it, the contest.
The win propelled the hosts to the fourth position on the league, while the Panthers are a rung below with two back-to-back losses.
It was neck and neck in the first half, with the home team giving the defending champions a run for their money.
However, Jasvir Singh — the star raider for the Panthers — did much of the work for his team with his dashy movements and prolific leg-swings that helped the visitors open up a 15-12 lead at half time, as their owner Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan seemed content.
The second half was enthralling too as the Warriors made it a point to not budge an inch which reflected in their performance as former captain Nilesh Shinde clinched seven tackle points.
Warriors’ skipper Dinesh Kumar joined in the act getting important points for his side as he raided the opponent half and looked to salvage in desperation whatever points he could.
But it took a team effort from the Warriors in the dying seconds of the game to pull off the miraculous victory after being behind for much of the game.
Earlier, former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly sang the national anthem in presence of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who inaugurated the city leg of the Kabaddi League.
“They have to take a bit of ‘panga’. We have won both the IPL and the ISL and I hope we win the kabaddi title too,” said Ganguly, expressing support for Bengal Warriors.
The prolific left-handed willower also batted for the success of the league and congratulated the official broadcaster for their efforts.
“I have not played kabaddi much, but I’ve seen a few matches. It provides a good platform for domestic players.”
Banerjee termed the sport her “favourite game”.