India hammer Iran to lift Kabaddi Masters trophy
Dubai, June 30: Skipper Ajay Thakurs brilliance helped India hammer Iran 44-26 in the final match to lift the Kabaddi Masters trophy at the Al Wasl Sports Club here on Saturday.
Iran, who impressed with their performance in this six-nation meet, were expected to give some fight to the mighty Indian team but they failed to do so. Right from the beginning, their defenders and raiders struggled in a match which was delayed for couple of minutes in the first half as the lights went out.
Unlike last match, where India failed to take the lead in initial 15 minutes, India started off perfectly. Raiders and defenders did their job from the start and helped their team to gain four points lead in first four minutes of the game.
Skipper Ajay Thakur, Monu Goyat, Rishank kept on stealing the points as a result India forced Iran to play with only two players. Soon India inflicted an all out in the seventh minute of the game to make it 10-2.
Iran, tried to reduce the point difference towards the end of the first half but failed and both teams finished the first half proceedings with India leading 18-11.
The second half saw India making second all-out of the match in just four minutes to make scoreboard count 24-12.
India's dominance continued as defenders Surjeet, Girish were thrashing the Iran raiders and grabbing them at will.
India again forced Iran to play with two players when Ajay made a superb raid in the 28th minute but Iran revived their players soon started counter-attacking.
India felt the heat in the last couple of minutes as Iran went all-out in the raids and defenders were tackling down Indian players aggressively.
Unperturbed by the aggressive game, India played camly and slowed down the pace of the game. Coach Srinivas Reddy also made a few substitutions, brining in experienced Rahul Chaudhary.
With three most experienced players on the mat for India, Ajay, Surjeet and Rahul played some other level game as the trio changed the match scenario In few minutes and inflicted an all-out to swell their lead 24 points (44-22).
The last few seconds saw Iran taking few points but it was too late as India wrapped up the issue comfortably.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Odisha hospital fire toll rises to 12 as 2 more succumb to burn injuries
Bhubaneswar/Cuttack (Odisha) (PTI): The toll in the devastating fire at government-run SCB Medical College and Hospital here climbed to 12 after two more patients succumbed to their burn injuries on Tuesday.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling informed the assembly that a total of 12 people died in the fire incident that took place at the trauma care ICU of the hospital early on Monday.
Terming it a "very sad accident", the minister said, "As soon as the fire broke out, the hospital staffers worked on a war footing to immediately shift 23 patients from the first floor ICU and adjacent wards of the trauma care centre. All of them were shifted to other ICUs and wards."
Seven patients of the trauma care centre died due to their critical condition while five other critically ill patients died while undergoing treatment in other wards and ICUs.
ALSO READ: Cousin records as man shoots self while loading pistol in Delhi; video goes viral
Eleven medical staffers engaged in the rescue of the patients were also injured in the fire. The injured staff members are undergoing treatment and their lives are out of danger, he said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of the Opposition in the state assembly, Naveen Patnaik, visited the hospital on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also taken stock of the situation.
The state government has constituted a judicial panel to probe the incident, and also formed a fact-finding team headed by Development Commissioner D K Singh that visited the hospital. The team will submit a report to the chief secretary.
The blaze had erupted around 2.48 am on the first floor and is suspected to have been triggered by an electrical short circuit.
SCB Medical College and Hospital is the state's premier health facility, with nearly 2,700 beds and it serves thousands daily.
