Pakistan overcome stiff resistance from Canada

Sangrur: Pakistan snuffed out a stiff challenge from formidable Canada with a hard-fought 47-38 win in their opening pool B match of the Rs 2.2 crore World Cup Kabaddi Punjab championships at War Heroes Memorial Stadium here today.

With their electrifying raids and steel-like grips by the stoppers, Pakistan and Canada kept the spectators on the tips of their chairs. The first half was a neck-to-neck affairs as Pakistan took a slender 23-21 lead. However, on resumption, the Pakistan players who attended a 60-day coaching camp in Lahore before coming to India for the WCKP 2010, started asserting themselves more and clinched the issue in their favour. Pakistan raider Yaser Javed Gujjar raided 15 times and touched the finish-line successfully on 14 occasions. Pakistan stopper proved a stonewall on five occasions as he did not allow the raiders to wriggle out of his tight grips. Kamaljit Malsian was the outstanding raider for Canada. Whenever he went for the raid, he won valuable points. Out of 11 fast and powerful raids, Kamaljit won 11 points. Canadian stopper Madoke did not allow Pakistan raiders to go back to gain points. Earlier, in a pool A match, Italy proved too good for Iran whom they outplayed their opponents in all departments of the game. Italy won 63-24 after gaining a 31-14 lead. Italy took a 10-5 lead early in the game and gradually increased the lead to emerge winners with a handsome margin. For Italy, Channa Kheeranwali was the outstanding raider as he scored 12 points out of 12 raids. Jinder Mariki gave a solid display in catching as he denied the Italian raiders any point out of his five catches. In the third match of the day England defeated Spain 47-28 after leading 23-16 at half time. Malvinder Singh Pawar Mithapuria was the most electrifying raider for England as he clinched 11 points out of his 13 raids. England`s stopper Sandeep Singh out of his 13 tries, he met with success 11 times to fashion England`s facile win. For Spain, Daljit Tanpur obtained nine points out of 16 raids. Their main stopper was Sandhu Parsurampur who did not permit England raiders to get any point out of his six catches. PTI