Haryana Steelers win maiden PKL title after big win over Patna Pirates
Pune, Dec 29: Haryana Steelers produced an outstanding display on the mat to beat Patna Pirates 32-23 and clinch their maiden Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) crown here on Sunday.
With show-stopper Mohammadreza Shadloui in full flow, Haryana Steelers won the final with consummate ease.
For Haryana Steelers, Shivam Patare scored nine points, Shadloui seven and Vinay added six more.
The champions were awarded Rs 3 crore, while the runners-up got Rs 1.8 crore.
Haryana Steelers were off to a quick start, picking up the first few points and the lead in the early exchanges.
Devank and Ankit put up a dogged fight Patna Pirates, but Haryana Steelers kept dictating terms and controlling the tempo, with Shivam Patare and Shadloui doing the heavy lifting.
Haryana Steelers' defence, led by Jaideep and Rahul Sethpal, showed why it considered one of the best units in the competition, as it made scoring extremely difficult for Patna Pirates.
However, as the half progressed, Gurdeep and Sudhakar brought Patna Pirates within touching distance of their opponents.
Devank and Ayan then levelled things up, before Shivam Patare and Vinay put Haryana Steelers in the box seat.
At the half-time break, Haryana Steelers led 15-12.
The second half started off sluggishly, with Patna Pirates picking up the first points through Sudhakar.
Haryana Steelers did well to keep Devank and Ayan quiet, but the three-time champions fought back.
However, Shadloui kept scoring crucial points, as did Jaideep, which kept Haryana Steelers in the hunt for their first PKL title.
Close to the half-hour mark, Haryana Steelers had a three-point lead, which had the game on a knife's edge.
After that, Haryana Steelers turned on the screws, landing the first 'all out' of the game. Shadloui was in his elements, as Haryana Steelers stormed to a nine-point lead.
In the final minutes, Haryana Steelers managed the game and the clock brilliantly to slam the door shut on their opponents.
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RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's temple-mosque statement supported by RSS mouth-piece Panchjanya
Nagpur: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's recent statement on searching temples under mosques has received support from Panchjanya, a magazine affiliated with the RSS.
Bhagwat had recently said that there is no need to search for temples in every mosque, adding that some individuals are trying to become 'Hindu leaders' by raising such issues, which is unacceptable. His statement was supported by some, while Hindu nationalist groups and certain saints rejected it.
In an editorial, Panchjanya described Bhagwat's remarks as a "pragmatic approach" and called for society to adopt a balanced stance on the temple-mosque controversy. The editorial emphasised that while temples are central to Hindu faith, using them for political gains is not acceptable.
It also expressed concern over the unnecessary debates and misleading propaganda surrounding the issue, which have been amplified through social media.
