Pro Panja League: Kiraak Hyderabad storm into final with win over MP Hathodas

Gwalior, Aug 20 (IANS) The semifinals of Pro Panja League Season 2 saw last season’s runners-up Kiraak Hyderabad storm their way into the Grand Finale yet again with a dominant 31-6 victory, winning seven out of the eight matches played over MP Hathodas.

Kiraak Hyderabad have been the best team in the tournament so far, leading the league in terms of points as they lived up to their reputation yet again. On the occasion of the semifinals, teams played four matches in both the Under Card and Main Card, providing double the action for fans to enjoy. Also in attendance was Olympic medallist and former Indian boxer Vijender Singh, as he was seen supporting Rohtak Rowdies, who are set to face Jaipur Veers in the second semifinal 2 fixture.

In the Under Card of semifinal 1, Kiraak Hyderabad displayed great power and consistency as they brushed MP Hathodas aside without giving away a point. Naveen M.V. of Kiraak defeated Akash Handique of MP Hathodas 2-0 in the 60kg category.

Siddharth Malakar built on his side’s first win with another victory over Rino Thomas with a score of 2-0 in the 90kg bout. Rachna Jatav carried the momentum and her solid form as she got the better of Bhavna Goswami 2-0 in the 55kg contest, and lastly Amit Singh seized the undercard action by overpowering the experienced Shaju A.U. of MP Hathodas 2-0 in the 100 kg clash, and gave Kiraak Hyderabad a dream start.

The Main Card saw Kiraak Hyderabad continue their dominance initially as Madhura K.N. produced a flawless 5-0 win against Olivia Dkhar in the 65kg category. World champion Aabhas Rana of Kiraak Hyderabad beat MP Hathodas’ Tushar Awasthi 3-1 in the 100+ kg division. Tushar stunned Aabhas in the first round with a powerful pin to open the account for his side; however, Aabhas stole the show from thereon by winning three rounds in a row to make a solid comeback.

Stewe Thomas followed up with a strong 10-0 victory over Hathodas captain Tridip Medhi in the 70kg bout. Stewe, who is renowned for his dangerous flashpins, continued his undefeated run of Season 2 by pinning his opponent in under a second, for three rounds on the trot. During the challenger round, Stew just took 0.11 seconds to pin Tridip as he showcased his dominance ahead of the final.

The final contest of the night saw MP Hathodas star Sachin Goyal and Kiraak Hyderabad captain Asker Ali split the points 5-5 in the 80kg clash. Although Sachin won all three rounds against Asker, he couldn’t pin his opponent in under seven seconds during the challenger round, handing five more points to Kiraak Hyderabad as they cruised into the final.

--IANS

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