TN’s Palani Tuskers win winter edition

PUDUCHERRY: Riding on raider Dhanasekar Malayali’s outstanding performance, Palani Tuskers overcame Murthal Magnets 44-41 in a thrilling final to emerge champions in the Yuva Kabaddi Series Winter Edition 2023 at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Pondicherry.

The young left-raider scored 12 points in a nail-biting final that went to a five-raids decider after the match ended on level terms in full-time. Both teams also earned an equal number of points in the extra time to force the match into the decider where Palani Tuskers reigned supreme by 8-5 with its sublime attacking display.

Raider Kiruba Balanurugan and defender P Rajith Ponlingan contributed to the champion side with seven raid points and four tackle points, respectively.

“EaseMyTrip Yuva Kabaddi Series Winter Edition 2023 marked the 7th edition of the Yuva Kabaddi Series. The tournament is known for the rise of young stars and this edition was no different with the rising stars like Rohit from Murthal Magnets, Sakthivel from Palani Tuskers, and Srinath from Vijaynagara Veers,” commented Vikas Gautam Yuva Kabaddi Series co-founder after the final.

Palani Tuskers bagged a total cash prize of rs 20 lakhs after winning the final, while Murthal Magnets got rs 10 lakhs with runners-up finish for the second time in a row. Panchala Pride claimed the third position with Rs.5 lakhs cash prize.

Meanwhile, Murthal Magnets’ Rohit Rathee and Sonu Rathee were adjudged as the best raider and best defender of the tournament, respectively. They both received cash prizes of rs 50 thousand each.

Yuva Kabaddi Series Winter Edition 2023 witnessed a total of 120 high-intensity matches with 240 players from 12 different states like Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Haryana, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir participating in the tournament.