Storm Queens clinched a thriller to win the inaugural edition of the STAR Sports-Kabaddi Women’s League with a nail-biting 24-23 win over Fire Birds in the final at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here on Sunday.
In a contest which saw both teams adopting a guarded approach in the first session which Fire Birds led by a slender margin of 10-8, there was very little to choose between the two finalists. Interestingly, both teams were led by Asian Games gold medallists Tejaswini Bai (Storm Queens) and Mamtha Poojari (Fire Birds).
After a cautious display in the first-half to the disappointment of the capacity crowd, it was Storm Queens which raised the tempo as raiders Jyoti, Priyanka Negi and Rasmita Sahoo worked in tandem with a tight defence to pick up points frequently and take a comfortable 20-13 lead with five minutes to go.
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Then, a couple of defensive lapses by Queens saw Fire Birds bounce back, primarily due to the efforts of Payal Choudhary and R. Mohana, and make the scoreline read 22-20 in its favour.
Soon, there was excitement in the stands as Fire Birds scored its first all-out to take a stunning 23-22 lead in the dying seconds.
But, Fire Birds made the mistake of not staying cool and focused as Storm Queens captain Tejaswini Bai drew on her vast experience in the final raid of the match to score two crucial points, including a bonus, to trigger off celebrations in her camp.
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Storm Queens scored three bonus points, while Fire Birds had four and both teams had one all-out each.
“Yes, the target was to get the bonus in my last raid as we just did not want to let the issue into extra time,” remarked a jubilant Tejaswini.
“There was pressure because of the mistakes in the defence and in the first instance we should not have squandered such a handsome lead,” she said.
A delighted Queens coach and former Asian Games gold medallist Neeta Dadwe said it was sheer experience and smart play by Tejaswini which clinched the issue for them in those tense dying moments.
A not-so-dejected Fire Birds captain Mamtha confessed they were in a celebratory mood a bit too early. “We should have been more focused. We were definitely confused at that particular moment,” she said.
World Cup in IndiaMeanwhile, the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) on Sunday announced that India would host the 2016 kabaddi World Cup in October featuring 12 teams.
The result: Women’s final: Storm Queens bt Fire Birds 24-23.