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What's the story?
Haryana established its dominance on the kabaddi mat once again by clinching the gold medals in the U-17 and U-21 categories of both boys and girls. The U-21 girls final against Himachal Pradesh had ended in a tie. The Haryanvi team then went on to win the gold medal by holding their nerve in the extra time.
The background
Haryana has been a powerhouse in the world of kabaddi having produced so many world-class kabaddi players in the past. The state also has its own franchise in the Pro Kabaddi League named Haryana Steelers. Though the Steelers have never won the PKL championship, the fans have always turned up in huge numbers to cheer for their team. Also, an interesting thing to note is that a lot of Haryana players are playing for the other Pro Kabaddi franchises.
The heart of the matter
The finals of the kabaddi competitions of Khelo India Youth Games 2020 took place in Guwahati on Monday (13th January). The U-17 boys finale featured a lopsided battle between Haryana and Rajasthan where the Rajasthani side lost 42-26. In the U-17 girls finale, Haryana prevailed over Tamil Nadu 25-20 in a closely contested match.
The U-21 girls final match between Haryana and Himachal Pradesh was the toughest encounter where the two teams scored 27 points each in the first 40 minutes. The match went into extra time where Haryana won the game 35-32.
In the U-21 boys category, Bengaluru Bulls' star defender Saurabh Nandal led Haryana's team from the front as his High 5 helped them defeat pre-tournament favourites Maharashtra 41-27 in the final.
What's next?
Looking at the impressive performance of the youngsters from Haryana, the PKL franchises would have an eye on them when they enter the auction later this year.
