For the third straight time, India lifted the Kabaddi World Cup title on Saturday. A tough Irani opposition was beaten 38-29 in the final in Ahmedabad, despite India going into the halftime break trailing the opponents.
After the victory, India’s kabaddi head coach Balwan Singh dedicated his team's win to the Indian Army soldiers who were martyred in the last month's terrorist attack in Uri.
We dedicate this win to our brave soldiers who laid down their lives in the terrorist attack in Uri. We salute them. We had planned before the match that we will give something to the nation. We wanted to win the World Cup for our nation and our soldiers.Balwan Singh, Indian Kabaddi Coach
Nineteen Indian soldiers were martyred on September 18 in terrorist attack on an army camp in the border town of Uri in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.
India were trailing 13-18 at the half-time break before Ajay Thakur sparked off a superb comeback with four consecutive raid points. Thakur turned out be one of the crucial factors in India's win with a total of 12 points.
"During half-time, the coach told us to stay calm and play with confidence. We heeded his advice and managed to implement our tactics in the second half," Indian captain Anup Kumar said.
"Although we were trailing, there was no pressure on us. Every team plays to win. But we were confident that we will win," he added.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)