UP Yoddhas edge Telugu Titans in Pro Kabaddi opener

UP Yoddhas opened their Pro Kabaddi League campaign with a 40-35 win over Telugu Titans in Visakhapatnam, as Gagan Gowda’s 14 points and Sumit’s defence proved decisive

Hyderabad: UP Yoddhas began their campaign with a thrilling 40-35 win against Telugu Titans in the Pro Kabaddi League at the Vishwanadh Sports Club in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Skipper Sumit’s eight points and Gagan Gowda’s superb 14-point haul proved decisive, despite Vijay Malik’s equally impressive 14 points for the Titans.

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Vijay Malik opened the proceedings with an early hand touch, but the Yoddhas immediately showed their resilience. Gagan Gowda struck early against Bharat Hooda, with both teams trading blows and forcing do-or-die raids. Bharat faltered in his first two such attempts, while Guman Singh’s double touch gave the Yoddhas the lead 10 minutes into the first half, reducing the Titans to just two men on the mat at the timeout.

The first all out arrived in the 8th minute, when skipper Sumit trapped Jai Bhagwan to hand the Yoddhas a four-point cushion. Soon after, Gagan Gowda’s super raid extended the advantage, and the visitors began to dictate the tempo. Despite Bharat’s resistance, the Titans struggled to close the gap as the Yoddhas went into the break leading 21-13.

Early in the second half, the Yoddhas inflicted another all out, with Sumit completing his high five after dismissing Shubham Shinde and stretching the lead to 11. Malik briefly revived the Titans with a multi-point raid, but Gowda’s consistency carried him to a super 10. Sumit then produced a super tackle on Malik to restore the 11-point margin, putting the game seemingly out of reach.

The Titans, however, weren’t done. They capitalised on the Yoddhas’ first all out of the night, cutting the lead to just five points. Malik completed his super 10 with a multi-point raid and even dismissed Gowda, sparking hopes of a late comeback. But Gowda had the final say, sealing the contest with a super raid in the dying moments.