Iran and Kenya to play the Final of 2019 Junior Kabaddi World Championship, Quarter-finals and Semi-finals results

Iran qualified as the finalists of the 2019 Junior Kabaddi World Championship.
Iran qualified as the finalists of the 2019 Junior Kabaddi World Championship.

The 2019 Junior Kabaddi World Championship is bound to conclude after 21 intriguing matches. Hosts Iran and Kenya are set to play the Final on 15th November in the national stadium of Kish Island, Iran. Both teams have remained undefeated thus far as either side looks to create history by clinching the gold medal.

Eight teams squared off against each other in the quarter-finals held in the morning session. The quarter-finals got rescheduled due to some technical difficulties as the hosts Iran faced Chinese Taipei in the first quarter-final.

Iran started well, leading by more than ten points in the first 10 minutes. Chinese Taipei showed signs of a comeback with their defensive display, but Iran emerged as winners with the score (53-31).

Pakistan taking on Sri Lanka in the second quarter-final
Pakistan taking on Sri Lanka in the second quarter-final

In the second quarter-final, Pakistan locked horns against Sri Lanka, where both sides managed to score raid points consistently. However, Pakistan came back in the dying minutes and managed to win the encounter (32-44).

Bangladesh collided with Thailand in the third quarter-final that turned into a one-sided affair right from the start. The less-experienced Thailand suffered a loss by the hands of Bangladesh (62-37), who managed to qualify for the semis.

Kenya and Denmark (two non-Asian sides) clashed in the fourth quarter-final. Victor Obiero-led Kenya managed to dethrone Denmark in both offense and defense, as Kenya defeated Denmark (24-79) to fill in the final spot for the semi-finals.


Semi-Finals

Kenya reigned supreme in the first semi-final against Pakistan.
Kenya reigned supreme in the first semi-final against Pakistan.

The first semi-final witnessed Kenya and Bangladesh locking horns against each other to determine the first finalist of the tournament. Kenya managed to keep Pakistan under pressure with a lead of more than 12 points in the first half. Pakistan tried to come back, but Kenya's consistency in the offense led them to the victory (48-39).

In the second semi-final, Iran took a mammoth lead right from the first ten minutes of the match. They inflicted all-outs on Bangladesh to keep their dominance, as Iran gained a 32 pointer victory (52-20) to move into the finals of the inaugural Junior World Kabaddi Championship.


Here's the summary of the quarter-finals and the semi-finals of the 2019 Junior World Kabaddi Championship:

Quarter-Finals:

QF1: Iran defeated Chinese Taipei (53-31)

QF2: Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka (44-32)

QF3: Bangladesh defeated Thailand (62-37)

QF4: Kenya defeated Denmark (79-34)

Semi-Finals:

SF1: Kenya defeated Pakistan (48-39)

SF2: Iran defeated Bangladesh (52-20)


What to expect: Final

Iran and Kenya proved to be the two heavyweights in the competition as they lock horns to crown the inaugural champions of the Junior World Kabaddi Championship.

The skipper of the Iranian team, Amir Hossein Bastami, has led from the front in both offense and defense. He has been crucial with his raids, along with his tackling skills from the right corner. On the other hand, Victor Obiero has been a vital part of Kenya's national Kabaddi team and the Pro Kabaddi League. He is a flamboyant raider who can score points consistently.

It promises to be an exciting encounter with the amount of exposure both sides have gained in the tournament.

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Edited by SK_Mod_PJ