Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Dec 30 (IANS) Chandigarh Chargers confirmed their place in the Division 2 final despite a narrow loss to Vizag Victors as the Yuva Kabaddi Series continued its thrilling run on the eighth day at the Karpagam Academy of Higher Education here on Monday. Delhi Dhurandhars, UP Falcons, and Hampi Heroes won their respective matches as the day saw dominant performances from these teams.
The final game of the day turned out to be the most entertaining one as Vizag Victors stunned table-toppers Chandigarh Chargers with a nail-biting 38-36 victory. Despite the loss, Chandigarh got a point, which confirmed their spot in the finals. For Vizag, substitute Pirati Srisivatejesh was the game-changer, scoring 13 raid points, while Samara Simha Reddy Gunimini added a Super 10. Chandigarh’s Nikesh was brilliant with 15 raid points but the team faltered in the crucial closing moments of the game.
The opening match set the tone with a hard-fought battle as Delhi Dhurandhars edged past Sindh Sonics 28-23. Arpit Nagar led the raiding unit with nine raid points, but it was substitute Nishant Bhati who turned the tide with seven tackle points. Sindh Sonics, despite solid defensive efforts from Manav Sharma and Harichand Singh, struggled in the raiding department and fell short.
In the second clash, UP Falcons continued their dominant form, thrashing Panchala Pride 53-26. With this win, the Falcons are on the brink of qualifying for the final, while Panchala remains winless in the tournament. Rachit Yadav was the star raider with a stellar 17 raid points, supported by Navneet Nagar’s defensive brilliance, who earned eight tackle points. Panchala’s lone bright spot was Ghanshyam Das, who scored a Super 10 but lacked support from his teammates.
The third match saw Hampi Heroes outclass Hyderabad Hurricanes 55-28. Chetan Jangama was unstoppable for Hampi, racking up 16 raid points with excellent support from his team. Hyderabad’s Tholem Balakrishna fought valiantly with eight raid points but could not prevent another heavy defeat for the Hurricanes.
–IANS
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