Haryana defeat Punjab as 5-day postal kabaddi tourney begins

The five-day 36th All-India Postal Kabaddi Tournament was inaugurated on Monday at Kurukshetra University.

Chief Postmaster General (Haryana Circle, Ambala) Sachin Kishore, as the chief guest, said the Postal Department organised various sports competitions every year, and, this year, the Haryana Circle had the privilege of hosting the 36th All-India Postal Kabaddi Championship.

He called upon the participating teams to play with complete dedication, sportsmanship, and respect.

A march-past was performed by all 11 participating teams — Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Punjab and the host circle, Haryana.

A total of 147 players and supporting staff from the 11 teams will play 28 matches over a period of five days. Some of the players have represented their states at national-level tournaments.

The championship began with a match between the Haryana and Punjab teams, with Haryana winning 47-10. Ten matches will be played between various teams on Tuesday.

For the smooth and transparent conduct of the tournament, 16 Kabaddi coaches have been invited as referees. Narendra Rana, District Sports Officer (DSO), Panchkula, is the chief referee of the event.