Hyderabad, Jan 28 (IANS) The 72nd Women’s Senior National Kabaddi Championship kicked off at the Balayogi Stadium on Tuesday, featuring a series of decisive wins on the opening day. This four-day event began on January 27 and will conclude on January 30.

Soon after India’s Women’s Kabaddi World Cup victory, the championship features many members of the world champion team competing against each other while representing their states and institutional teams.

On Day 1, eight matches took place across Pools A to H, with Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Chandigarh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Chhattisgarh all winning their opening fixtures.

In Pool A, Delhi won 61–14 against Jammu & Kashmir. In Pool B, Himachal Pradesh started with a 49–24 victory over Assam. Rajasthan achieved a 44–21 win over Telangana, the hosts, in Pool C. Haryana also made a strong debut, beating Jharkhand 62–16 in Pool D.

Pool F saw Tamil Nadu secure a 57–26 victory over Uttarakhand, while in Pool G, Chandigarh defeated West Bengal 72–19. In Pool E, Chhattisgarh narrowly beat Kerala 43–36 in the day’s closest match, and Karnataka ended Day 1 with the largest margin so far, defeating Manipur 100–8 in Pool H.

Several players showcased impressive individual performances on the opening day. Karnataka’s Hamshitha GM and Harshitha M led their team with 15 and 14 raid points respectively. Karthika R from Tamil Nadu was the day’s top scorer with 18 raid points, and Chhattisgarh’s Chhaya added 16 raid points in her team’s victory.

On Day 1, Pushpa from Himachal Pradesh, with 13 raid points, and Raj Rani from Haryana, with 11 raid points, were among the players to score Super 10s, showcasing the strong attacking talent across the teams.

The championship includes 378 players from 28 teams, which consist of state associations and institutional units. With several members of the Indian women’s kabaddi team, victorious at the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in November 2025, participating, the tournament is likely to be key in evaluating team combinations for the Asian Games scheduled to take place in Japan later this year.

–IANS

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