Himachal Pradesh girls rode on a fine all-court display to crown themselves kabaddi champions in the inaugural Khelo India School Games at the KD Jadhav Stadium here tonight. They beat back a late surge by Delhi to win the final 25-19 and break into riotous celebrations.
Himachal Pradesh’s superior defence helped the team gain the edge. Both teams had seven raid points each in the climactic encounter but the girls from the mountain State had 16 successful tackles, four more than the representing the home city. Himachal Pradesh also picked up two extra points as well to stay well clear of Delhi.
The boys’ final will be played between Uttar Pradesh and Delhi later on Sunday.
Earlier, the Haryana boys appeared to have paid a price for losing to Gujarat in the final league game and thus the momentum they had gained with two successive victories. Delhi made the most of the opportunity and powered its way to the final. In the other semifinal, Gujarat was unable to make headway against a tough and focussed Uttar Pradesh squad.
The results:
Final: Girls: Himachal Pradesh beat Delhi 25-19.
Semifinals: Boys: Delhi beat Haryana 37-20; Uttar Pradesh beat Gujarat 38-21; Girls: Himachal Pradesh beat Haryana 30-23; Delhi beat Kerala 57-27.