The Beach Kabbadi Championship of the 49th National Sports Festival concluded at the Dadella Beach, Galle, recently. After a series of thrilling encounters, the Eastern Province men and Uva women took home the gold medals.
Men’s Championship
There were some electrified actions in the men’s segment, and after displaying a brilliant performance in the preliminary round, the Eastern, North Central, Southern and Sabaragamuwa sides secured their spots in the semifinals. At the semifinals, Eastern Province and North Central Province managed to secure their place in the final by beating Southern Province and Sabaragamuwa Province.
The men’s final lived up to every bit of its billing, and the game swung between the sides from the start to the end. After a hard-fought battle, Eastern lads were victorious by just two points, and the brave effort of North Central lads was not enough to prevent their victory.
There was another close tussle in the third-place match, and Southern Province managed to clinch the bronze medal after beating the Sabaragamuwa outfit by just three points.
Results of the Finals
The Final: Eastern Province 42 – 40 North Central Province
Bronze medal match: Southern Province 37 – 34 Sabaragamuwa Province
- Gold Medal: Eastern Province
- Silver Medal: North Central Province
- Bronze Medal: Southern Province
Women’s Championship
There were some evenly matched and exciting contests between the provincial sides in the women’s competition. After a clinical display in the preliminary round, the Uva, Eastern, Western and Sabaragamuwa sides secured their spots in the semifinals. At the semifinals, Uva Province and Eastern Province managed to secure their place in the final by beating Western Province and Sabaragamuwa Province.
There was a tight clash in the bronze medal match, and the Sabaragamuwa side managed to edge out the formidable Western Provincial outfit by just four points.
In the much-awaited women’s beach kabaddi final, there was a see-saw battle between Uva and Eastern Provinces. The game dragged on to a nail-biting finish, and the Uva ladies had the last laugh as they managed to edge out the Eastern ladies by just two points to clinch the gold medal.
Due to their outstanding and unwavering performances, S. M. Sabihan of Eastern Province and M. A. T. Kanchana of Uva Province were adjudged as the players of the tournament from the respective categories. 
Men’s Gold Medal Winners – Eastern Province
Women’s Gold Medal Winners – Uva Province
The tournament was organised by the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Department of Sports Development.
Results of the Finals
Bronze medal match: Western Province 40 – 44 Sabaragamuwa Province
The Final: Uva Province 39 – 37 Eastern Province
- Gold Medal: Uva Province
- Silver Medal: Eastern Province
- Bronze Medal: Sabaragamuwa Province
