State kabaddi meet off to a sparkling start

The 57th State Kabaddi Championship got off to an attractive start at the floodlit Gajalaxmi ground in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. The decorative venue, a sizeable and elite crowd the attention of the media made the event the best ever in the history of the sport in the state. Defending men’s champions Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI) got off to a flying start, trouncing Dhenkanal by 41 points in the opening match. In women’s section, last year’s champions Cuttack also posted easy victory, outplaying Sambalpur 21-9. As many as 31 teams joined the three-day championship, which is being organised by Young Sporting Club, under the aegis of Orissa Kabaddi Association. Results: Men: Bhubaneswar bt Deogarh 48-17, Cuttack bt Rourkela 32-21: Orissa Police bt Khurda 40-2: CRRI bt Dhenkanal 57-8. Women: Cuttack bt Sambalpur 21-9: Khurda bt Deogarh 46-8: Bhubaneswar bt Puri 28-24, Rourkela bt Angul 41-8. Cuttack raider in action against Rourkela at the State Kabaddi Championship in Bhubaneswar on May 28, 2009. Rourkela women attempt to trap an Angul raider at the State Kabaddi Championship in Bhubaneswar on May 28, 2009.