Sonipat, Feb 7 (IANS) The Kabaddi Champions League produced a fitting finale at a jam-packed Sports University of Haryana, Rai, as Rohtak Royals edged past Bhiwani Bulls 32–30 in a nerve-shredding summit clash to be crowned the inaugural champions of KCL.
On the mat, the final lived up to the billing. Devank Dalal opened the scoring for Bhiwani Bulls with a bonus point, but Vijay Malik and Rakesh Singh responded strongly for Rohtak Royals with sharp raids and calculated aggression.
Early dominance from the Royals saw them inflict the first all-out, racing to a 9–3 lead, before Bhiwani clawed their way back through Devank’s fearless raids and a timely revival by Sourav. The contest swung relentlessly, with both teams neutralising star raiders through collective defence, ending the first half with Rohtak holding a 20–16 advantage.
The second half turned into a tactical chess match. Bhiwani Bulls surged ahead briefly as Parvesh Malik completed a High-5, while the Royals relied on discipline and patience to absorb pressure. Despite Devank battling injury and being repeatedly targeted in do-or-die situations, the Bulls stayed in contention till the final moments.
However, Rakesh Singh’s calm raids and Sandeep Narwal’s decisive late tackles, including back-to-back stops in the final seconds, proved decisive as Rohtak Royals closed out the match 32–30 to lift the historic title.
The grand finale was attended by Haryana Cabinet Minister Krishna Lal Panwar, Kuldeep Dalal Ji (Chairman, AKAH), Chetan Joshi (General Secretary, Uttarakhand), and Kumar Vijay Ji (Chairman, Bihar Kabaddi Association), all of whom praised KCL’s impact on grassroots and professional kabaddi.
“Kabaddi is Haryana’s pride, and KCL has strengthened that legacy with a world-class platform,” said Krishna Lal Panwar, while Kuldeep Dalal Ji added, “This league is building the future of Indian kabaddi by giving young players exposure under pressure.”
Calling the final a landmark moment, Chetan Joshi noted, “KCL has set a benchmark for domestic kabaddi competitions in India,” and Kumar Vijay Ji echoed the sentiment, saying, “The passion, quality and organisation of KCL show how strong Indian kabaddi has become.”
Speaking after the triumph, Vijay Malik said, “It is the kind of final we had hoped for. It could have gone either way, but we held our nerve. We will celebrate tonight because we worked extremely hard for this. KCL has brought out the pride of Haryana’s kabaddi passion, and I know this league will only grow bigger.”
Royals head coach Surender Nada reflected on the strategy, saying, “Our idea was to stick to the plan and keep our defence on the mat regardless of the score. The more you stay, the more pressure builds on the raider. We planned to contain Devank, and executing that plan made the difference.”
Raider of the Match: Devank Dalal (Bhiwani Bulls)
Defender of the Match: Parvesh Malik (Bhiwani Bulls)
–IANS
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