The much-anticipated 2nd Junior Kabaddi World Championship 2023 opened to great fanfare in Urmia, Iran. China Taipei began the day with a spectacular victory against the Ugandan side by 42-40. But it wasn’t all cheers and congratulations – Kenya, the 2018 finalists, were defeated by a strong Iraqi side with a nail-biting score of 56-39. A high stakes match between North America’s footballing powerhouses USA and Mexico ended in thrilling fashion, with Mexico winning by 43 – 39 points under immense pressure from Team USA. The atmosphere at Urmia was electric as teams from 25 countries lined up for this extraordinary tournament that promises to provide action packed days for kabaddi fans around the world.
Bangladesh proved to be a formidable force under Indian coach, Mr. Srinivas Reddy, as they secured a convincing 69-43 win over Thailand in the opening match. It was a crucial start to their campaign, and it showed their determination to go all out and lay down the law. Defending champion Iran also started strong with an impressive 62-25 scoreline against Chinese Taipei. Pakistan persisted and eventually emerged triumphant against Nepal by a 61-41 scoreline. To cap off the evening Iraq cruised past Palestine in an emphatic display of dominance, finalizing the score at 69-16. Such high levels of competition prove that this tournament is set to be an electrifying one!
Groups
Group A: Iran, Chinese Taipei, Uganda
Group B: Kenya, Iraq, Palestine
Group C: India, Bangladesh, Thailand
Group D: Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia
