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The opening day of the 72nd Senior Nationals Men's Kabaddi Championship 2026 at the Sama Indoor Complex in Vadodara witnessed several commanding performances on Tuesday, with a mix of experienced players and emerging talents making strong starts to their campaigns.
According to a release, a total of 29 teams, divided into eight pools, are participating in the championship. Eight matches were played on Day 1 across Pools A to H, with Chandigarh, Tamil Nadu, Indian Railways and Gujarat registering victories in their respective fixtures. The day was also highlighted by notable individual performances, with Gujarat's Mitesh Prajapati scoring 21 points to play a decisive role in his team's victory. Vidarbha's Adesh Warkhade also stood out with an impressive 28-point effort, though the team fell short in a closely contested four-point defeat. In Pool A, Chandigarh displayed complete dominance, recording a 44-point win with a 76-32 victory over Jharkhand. The Pool B encounter saw last year's runners-up, Indian Railways, produce another strong performance as they defeated Odisha 73-23 by a 50-point margin. Narender Kandola scored 16 points and ensured his team remains in a comfortable lead enroute their dominating win. The Pool C match between Punjab and Gujarat turned out to be a closely fought contest, with Gujarat edging past Punjab 46-44. In Pool D, Tamil Nadu delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day, overpowering Manipur 75-16 to seal a 59-point win. The other match in the pool saw Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha involved in a tight contest, with Uttar Pradesh recording a narrow four-point victory. UP Captain Arjun Deshwal, who starred for Tamil Thalaivas in the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season12 scored 15 points and led his team to victory. In Pool E, Haryana emerged victorious against Andhra Pradesh, registering a 49-32 win. The second match of Pool E saw Jammu & Kashmir defeat Telangana 43-34. The Pool F contest between Kerala and Bihar also produced a close encounter, with Bihar securing a three-point win. (ANI)
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