The Kabaddi Competition of the 49th National Sports Festival, which was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports with the collaboration of the Department of Sports Development, concluded successfully at the Galle District Sports Complex Indoor Stadium recently. After an action-packed tournament, the Sabaragamuwa Province women and North Central Province men had some exceptional raids and displayed a solid defence to secure the gold medals from the respective categories.
The tournament unfolded during three days last weekend, and 105 male players and 107 female players were featured in the event, representing the nine provinces.
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In the final of the men’s segment, the defending champions, North Central Province, battled against the formidable Western Province line-up. Both sides were equally up to the task, but the North Central lads looked highly tactical compared to their opposition, and that was what separated the best from the rest. While North Central lads clinched their third consecutive gold, the Western Force took the silver. Further, the men from Eastern Province also secured a podium finish with a hard-fought victory that earned them a bronze.
The towering SL Army and Sri Lankan Kabaddi captain Milinda Chathuranga Galappaththi, who represented the North Central Province side, was adjudged as the player of the tournament (men’s) due to his unmatched raids, which eventually let down the opponents throughout the tournament. The champion side trained under the experienced coach Prasanna Makulawa.
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The women’s Kabaddi final was a hair-raising encounter between the two powerhouses, Sabaragamuwa and Uva. After a see-saw battle, the lasses from Sabaragamuwa became victorious by clinching the gold, while the Uva ladies had to be satisfied with a silver. The women’s bronze medal went to Western Province.
After being exceptional in both raids and defence, ex-Mayurapada National School (Mawanalla) player W. G. S. M. Jayasinghe, who represented the Sabaragamuwa Province, clinched the best women’s player award. Veteran coach Nadeeka Sellahewa guided the winning team to this magnificent achievement.
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Players of the tournament – Milinda Chathuranga & W. G. S. M. Jayasinghe
Final Results – NSF 2025, Kabaddi Tournament
Men’s Segment
Gold – North Central Province
Silver – Western Province
Bronze – Eastern Province
Women’s Segment
Gold – Sabaragamuwa Province
Silver – Uva Province
Bronze – Western Province
