The 69th Senior National Women’s Kabaddi Championship has kicked off in Mahendragarh, Haryana, and is set to showcase some of the top women kabaddi players from across the country. The tournament will feature 26 teams that have been divided into eight pools, with each team playing one match against each opponent in the same group. The winner and runner-up from each pool will qualify for the knockout stages, where the teams will battle it out to win the coveted championship title.

The defending champions Himachal Pradesh will look to retain their title with the help of star players Pushpa Rana and Jyoti in their squad. Meanwhile, Indian Railways will be led by Payel Chowdhury and will feature top women kabaddi stars like Sonali Shingate, Pinki Roy, Ritu Negi, and Raksha Narkar. Maharashtra will be captained by Pooja Yadav, who will have the likes of Sayali Jadhav and Snehal Shinde in her team.

In the opening match of the tournament, hosts Haryana registered a massive victory over Odisha, winning by 59-19 in Pool C. Defending champions Himachal Pradesh also started their campaign on a high note, thrashing Uttar Pradesh in their opening encounter by 54-14. Indian Railways, on the other hand, registered a massive 74-point victory over Jammu & Kashmir, winning by 83-9.

The tournament has already seen some thrilling matches, with Rajasthan pulling off a massive 51-14 victory over Kerala. The match between Punjab and Madhya Pradesh went down to the wire, with the former clinching a 35-33 victory. Maharashtra showcased an all-round performance, comfortably edging past Puducherry by 44-8. Tamil Nadu took the lead in Pool F with a sensational victory over Vidarbha, winning by 49-16.

Chandigarh also had a notable victory over Bihar, winning by 42-33, while Karnataka edged past Uttaranchal with a 3-point victory of 33-30. As the tournament progresses, it is expected to witness more such exciting matches and nail-biting finishes.