Palani Tuskers clinch Yuva Kabaddi Series Winter Edition

Puducherry [India], February 9 (ANI): 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 Puducherry.
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 their 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.
The thrilling encounter was witnessed by N Rangaswamy, Chief Minister UT of Pondicherry along with Yuva Kabaddi Series co-founders Vikas Gautam and Suhail Chandhok, also the CEO of U Mumba's Pro Kabaddi team.
"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. Each edition of the series brings surprises, and this one was no different with the electrifying finale between Palani and Murthal leaving a lasting impression," commented Vikas Gautam after the final.
Palani Tuskers bagged a total cash prize of Rs 20 lakh after winning the final, while Murthal Magnets got Rs 10 lakh with a runners-up finish for the second time in a row. Panchala Pride claimed the third position with Rs 5 lakh 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 50,000 each.
The 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 and Kashmir participating in the tournament, a release said.
Top Six Teams:
Champions - Palani Tuskers
Runner - Up - Murthal Magnets
3rd Position - Panchala Pride
4th Position - Aravalli Arrows
5th Position - Vijayanagara Veers
6th Position - Chola Veerans
Tournament Awards
1. Best Raider of the Tournament: Rohit Rathee, Murthal Magnets| Prize Money Rs 50,000
2. Best Defender of the Tournament: Sonu Rathee, Murthal Magnets | Prize Money Rs 50,000
3. Most Effective Raider: Raju Galla, Vijayanagara Veers
4. Most Effective Defender: Sakthivel Thangavelu, Palani Tuskers
5. Do Or Die Specialist: Ganesh Ramawat, Vijayanagara Veers
6. Super Raid Specialist: Rakesh Gowda, Hampi Heroes
7. Super Tackle Specialist: Anuj Saini, Aravalli Arrows
8. Multi Point Raid Specialist: Ankit Saharwa, Murthal Magnets. (ANI)