Kabaddi players in action during the match between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh teams at Punjab Stadium. PHOTO: APP
Wapda won the National Kabaddi Championship, defeating Army 58-35 in the final at Punjab Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The championship was contested in the traditional circle style format, and the teams were cheered by a significant crowd present at the stadium.
The other format is standard/rectangular style, which is played indoors. It is more common in international leagues and at the Asian Games.
Wapda booked their place in the final after overcoming Police 45-38 in their semifinal, whereas Army edged past Pakistan Air Force 46-335 in their last-four fixture.
In the third-place match on Sunday, which was scheduled before the final, PAF outplayed Police to take the bronze medal.
The championship featured 12 teams in four pools, which were a mix of departmental sides and the provincial outfits.
Wapda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sindh were in Pool A, while PAF, Balochistan, and Pakistan Railways were in Pool B. Pool C had Army, Punjab, and Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) Wah. On the other hand, Pool D teams were the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Police, and Pakistan Navy.
The event began on October 1, and group matches were played till October 3.
Wapda, Army, PAF, and Police emerged as the winners to qualify from their pools, and remained undefeated in that stage.
“Kabaddi is a tradional sport and is popular in the rural areas, but it is a sport that can promote great values and have the ability to inspire the youth to take fitness more seriously, along with teaching them teamwork, discipline, and patience, ” The Pakistan Kabaddi Federation Secretary Muhammad Sarwar said in the press release that announced the dates for the championship last month.
The PKF also mentioned that dope testing could be a part of the event to ensure the integrity of the sport, and all the teams were encouraged to do their due diligence before competing in the championship.
The PKF found support from the Punjab Government and the Punjab Sports Board in holding the event. They also claimed that the PKF are the first federation to arrange the facilities of dope testing during the national championship.