Yuva All Star kabaddi: Close encounters and a tie mark action on opening day
Haridwar (Uttarakhand): The Yuva All Stars Kabaddi Championship kicked off at the Vandana Kataria Indoor Stadium in Haridwar, featuring four closely contested matches on the opening day on Thursday.
The second match saw the first tie of the championship, as the UP Falcons and Junior Steelers played out an intense 37-37 draw. The Steelers dominated the first half, but the Falcons mounted a strong comeback, leading by four points heading into the final minute. However, a last-raid tackle on Arjun Sirohi by Jasbir Dahiya resulted in an all-out, securing a tie for the Steelers. Kunal Bhati starred for the Falcons with 13 raid points, while Mayank Saini delivered a standout performance for the Steelers with 17 raid points.
In the third match, Warriorz K.C. edged out Sonipat Spartans 39-37 in a nail-biting contest. The Spartans had the advantage at halftime, but the Warriorz turned the tide in the final 10 minutes to seal a two-point win. Rachit Yadav shone for the Warriorz with 11 raid points and two tackle points, while substitute Ronak Nain added four tackle points. Ankit Kumar Rana led the Spartans with eight raid points.
The final match of the day saw Division 1 champions Palani Tuskers overpower Division 3 winners Vasco Vipers 43-28. Rajapal J. made a strong impact off the bench, scoring nine raid points and one tackle point. Defensively, Sakthivel Thangavelu and Abikumar M Suresh Kumar picked up four tackle points each for the Tuskers. Bhargav was the standout performer for the Vipers with eight raid points but lacked defensive support.
Yuva All Stars Championship 2025, a first of its kind tournament in the kabaddi ecosystem, will have a total of 12 teams locking horns for the coveted title. In December 2024 and January 2025, the 11th edition of Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) was played, and six teams had qualified for the upcoming Yuva All Stars Championship 2025.
Joining the six teams from YKS Division rounds are six Invitational Youth Teams which will be revealed in few days. The tournament will have a total of 3 rounds to decide the ultimate champions.