With the target of playing in Pro Kabaddi, dominant Haryana were on roll at KIYG 2025

Rajgir, May 11: Haryana Kabaddi captain Jai Hind Lather, who secured the gold medal in kabaddi during the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games 2025, said that his motivation to bring laurels for the nation is because of fame earned by state's famous Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) stars like Pardeep Narwal, Deepak Niwas Hooda, Mohit Chillar and Monu Goyat, among others.

Haryana boys stamped their authority in the indigenous sport of kabaddi by beating Maharashtra in the final of the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games at the Bihar Sports University indoor hall on Thursday.

Led by their captain Lather, who has been training at the Sports Authority of India's (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Gandhinagar since June 2023, Haryana won by 39-28 margin amidst a vociferous crowd in the U-18 boys' kabaddi final.

Raiders Prince Dahiya, Ishant and Nikhil were the most valuable players for Haryana, helping them clinch bagful of points with their strong raids.

Haryana began their quest of defending their boys' kabaddi team title with an emphatic 58-31 win over Karnataka. Thereafter, Haryana beat Andhra Pradesh 37-28 and Chhattisgarh 55-30 to enter the semi-finals. They then trumped Rajasthan 40-38 to enter the final.

The state's dominance in the sport is fuelled by the popularity generated by the organisation of Pro Kabaddi League, which has a sizeable number of Haryana players.

"Whether it is me or young children, all of us were inspired by them to take up kabaddi as a career. The fact that they have already won medals for the country gives us confidence that we can also do the same, if we keep working hard. We are here in Bihar to win nothing short of gold at the Khelo India Youth Games. Khelo India is a very important platform for athletes like us to take the big leap in their career by showcasing our talent and skills here," Jai Hind told SAI Media.

"The Indian government is doing a lot for sports. We receive free coaching, training facilities, sports kits, boarding and lodging at NCOE Gandhinagar. This helps athletes like me to just concentrate on their performance," added the 18-year-old, whose father, Bijender Lather Jaglan is a farmer in Lajwana village of Jind district.

The Indian team that clinched gold at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou comprised of four players from Haryana - Parvesh Bhainswal, Naveen Kumar, Sunil Kumar and Nitin Rawal. In 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, six players were part of the bronze medal-winning Indian team including Monu Goyat, Rohit Kumar, Pardeep Narwal, Sandeep Narwal, Deepak Niwas Hooda and Mohit Chillar.

Another Haryana player, Nikhil Gulia, 17, harbours dreams of playing in the Pro Kabaddi League. Nikhil, who hails from Gudsam village in Panipat district, trains at the SAI Centre in Jaipur since April 2024.

"I get motivated while watching Pro Kabaddi. Players like Pardeep Narwal, Rahul Chaudhary have been a huge inspiration for us. My dream is to represent India in international tournaments and make a name for myself in Pro Kabaddi," said Nikhil, who was part of Haryana's U-19 gold-winning in SGFI Championship last year.

Haryana head coach Narinder Rana said that the state has traditionally been very powerful in contact sports like boxing and wrestling but Government of India's initiatives like Khelo India and the popularity of Pro Kabaddi League has been the reason behind their recent spurt in kabaddi.

"Haryana has always been in the forefront of sports. The policies of the Haryana state department are different, and that has helped in the growth of sports in the state. Sports Authority of India has always supported our athletes, and one can see that 50-60 per cent of our national team comprises of players from Haryana. They are present in large numbers in each of the franchises in the Pro Kabaddi League. Kabaddi players have been receiving support through Khelo India and various SAI centres and NCOEs," Rana told SAI Media.

Reader Comments

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Rahul K.

Haryana continues to dominate kabaddi like Punjab dominates hockey! 🏅 So proud to see our traditional sports getting this recognition. The Pro Kabaddi League has truly revolutionized the game - now even kids in my colony play kabaddi instead of just cricket. #DesiPride

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Priya M.

While I'm happy for Haryana's success, other states need to step up their game too. Kabaddi shouldn't become one-state dominated like hockey became with Punjab. Khelo India should focus on developing talent across all regions equally.

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Vikas S.

Jai Hind Lather's story is so inspiring! From farmer's son to gold medalist - this is what makes sports special. 👏 Hope more rural talent gets opportunities through Khelo India. Maybe next we'll see kabaddi players getting as famous as cricket stars!

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Anjali T.

As someone from Bihar, I'm so happy Rajgir hosted these games! Our state needs more sporting events. Maybe next time we'll have our own team competing at this level. The crowd support shows how much we love kabaddi here too!

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Sanjay P.

The government's investment in sports is really showing results. From SAI centers to Khelo India, these initiatives are creating champions. Now if only they could improve the facilities at grassroots level too - many village akhadas still lack basic equipment.

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