Hyderabad’s GMC Balayogi Stadium at Gachibowli turned into a battleground on Thursday as the 72nd Senior Women’s National Kabaddi Championship kicked off its knockout phase. With the league stage wrapped up, excitement peaked as top teams clashed in pre-quarterfinals, securing spots in the quarterfinals.
Indian Railways set the tone early, dismantling Karnataka with a commanding 46-27 victory. Maharashtra edged out Goa in a nail-biter, 42-36, showcasing resilience under pressure. Madhya Pradesh overcame Delhi 41-36, while Haryana delivered a stunning 50-19 rout of Vidarbha, underlining their defensive prowess.
Chandigarh clinched a hard-fought 45-39 win over Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu scraped past Rajasthan 34-30, Punjab dominated hosts Telangana 42-25, and Himachal Pradesh crushed Gujarat 67-22. These results propelled eight teams into the last eight.
Standout performers lit up the court. Tamil Nadu’s Kartika R continued her raiding dominance from the league phase. Uttarakhand’s Bhumika and Chhattisgarh’s Chhaya emerged as dynamic attackers, while Chandigarh’s Monica excelled in tackles with an impressive success rate. Gujarat’s Garhavi Sabhai and Madhya Pradesh’s Muskan Sharma also shone brightly in defense.
Reflecting on the league stage’s second day, Indian Railways dominated Pool A with blowouts over Jammu & Kashmir (88-12) and Delhi (54-21). Pools saw thrilling contests: Uttar Pradesh beat Assam 37-27 but fell to Himachal 34-21; Telangana (50-16) and Rajasthan (76-12) overpowered Puducherry; Goa (74-20 vs Jharkhand) and Haryana impressed; Maharashtra thrashed Vidarbha 57-20; Punjab edged Bihar 39-31; Gujarat narrowly defeated Odisha 29-26; and Madhya Pradesh beat Andhra Pradesh 48-23.
As quarterfinals loom, fans anticipate fierce rivalries and more record-breaking displays in this prestigious national showdown.