Due to the last minute efforts of Storm Queens’s skipper Tejaswini Bai they managed to beat Fire Birds 24-23 in a thrilling final played at Gacchibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad and successfully won the inaugural trophy of the tournament. Tejaswini Bai’s performance saved Queens form the sudden uprising of Fire Birds in last stages of the game.

Raider Sakshi Kumari opened the account for Queens in the final impressively in the fouth minute to give 4-1 lead. However, Fire Birds countered well and scored tackle points in fifth minute to trail 3-4. After the 7th minute the scores were leveled at 5-5. Although Fire Birds’ skipper Mamtha Poojari was struggling to score points, Fire Birds were leading 7-6. In the 12th minute Fire Birds were leading at 9-6 as Tejaswini Bai scored just one point in the first half. At the end of the first half, Fire Birds were enjoying the lead against Storm Queens at 10-8.

Later, in the second half, Storm Queens getting the momentum back scored a super tackle to trail 10-11 in the 17th minute. In the 19th minute they got one more point as Mamtha Poojari could not score points. In the 22nd minute Fire Birds were reduced to just one player when Queens retained their domination into the game by leading 15-11. An all out was natural after that and Queens got 18-12 lead. Storm Queens, with only five minutes remaining for the full time, were leading 20-13, and were well on the way to become the inaugural champion of the Women’s Kabaddi Challenge. However, Fire Birds countered back hard with Mamtha Poojari scoring points at 27th minute and the whole team inflicting an all out on Queens as they were leading 23-22 in the last stages. But Tejaswini Bai managed to score two points in the dying seconds of the game as the match ended at 24-23 in Storm Queens’s favor.

By Prajakt K.