The team thrashed India 49-27 to win the four-nation event at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
KARACHI: Star raider Lala Obaidullah has said that Pakistan’s recent triumph over world champions India in the Kabaddi Premier League (KPL) clearly established their position as the best team in the world.
The team thrashed India 49-27 to win the four-nation event at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE.
Pakistan dominated right from the start of play and ended the first-half with a healthy lead of 26-13. A similar performance was witnessed in the second-half as the Indian players tried to mount a challenge but failed to deliver, losing important opportunities to score points.
Obaidullah, the world record-holder for his successful 434 raids, notched 13 points in the final.
“Pakistan is the best team in the world if our matches are conducted in a fair manner,” Obaidullah told The Express Tribune.
“The KPL turned out to be a successful event and I can only see it growing. I’m sure more countries would come in future editions of the event and it will prove to be very helpful for players financially in the years to come.”
Last year, India had bulldozed Pakistan 59-22 in an unexpected one-sided final to claim the 3rd Kabaddi World Cup title in Ludhiana, India. However, the conclusion of the event saw the emergence of many allegations against India. In most cases, the hosts were charged with shielding their players from taking dope tests while the other teams had undergone the tests.
“My priority was to avenge our World Cup loss,” added Obaidullah. “I was held a couple of times in that event as I was down with fever. But all my 13 raids in the KPL final were successful.”
Meanwhile in the third-place match, Iran beat the UAE by 41-14 to claim the bronze medal.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 16th, 2013.
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@QB: congratulations to pakistan kabbadi team ,it is good for the game of kabbadi ,i like pakistan,s kabbadi team very much ,but pakistan team should not be overconfident ,team india lost maybe they did not sent their star palayers ,can somebody tell me who played for team india ?
Great job team Pakistan. We need to popularize this sport.