Khalsa Warriors edge Punjab Thunder in kabaddi thriller

Wave World Kabaddi League's (WKL) first match in Punjab went right down to the wire as Khalsa Warriors held their nerves in the closing stages to edge out Punjab Thunder here Saturday.

Khalsa Warriors won their fifth straight match 59-57 and maintained their unbeaten streak.

Despite their great fight back, Punjab Thunder tasted defeat, but will hold their heads high with a great show at the Hockey Ground in the Punjab Agricultural University.

Khalsa Warriors' win came via a point on their dramatic final raid from Jasmanpreet Singh. It was by far the closest match of the Wave WKL.

It took the third umpire and several TV replays to separate the teams, as the final raid by Jasmanpreet Singh was declared a successful one after a close look.

At one stage, even the screens flashed 58-58 for the first tie of the league. However, Punjab Thunder's joy was short lived but they took the decision sportingly. The two teams walked away from the court to a thunderous applause from the 8,000-odd spectators.

Punjab Thunder had the consolation as their star raider, Sultan Singh, was adjudged the man of the match for his superb performance that included 26 successful raids, many of them at crucial stages.

The best raider was also Sultan Singh, whose tally of 26 points equalled the previous best set by his own team-mate Talwinder Singh, who achieved it against Royal Kings, US last week in Delhi.

The best stopper was Khalsa Warriors' Gurpreet Singh Gopi with seven stops.

With the win, Khalsa Warriors now have 10 points, while Yo Yo Tigers and Lahore Lions, both of whom will be seen in action Sunday, have six points each in four matches.

For Punjab Thunder which is on four points, this was their third loss in five matches. Their earlier losses came at the hands of Lahore Lions and United Singhs.