Consistency is the key to success, but for Ahmednagar District Periyar Panthers, the champions of Krantijyot Mahila Pratishthan Yuva Kabaddi Series Inter District Youth League 2023, the success mantra was not only limited to being consistent but standing as the supreme team, dominating their counterparts throughout. 

The lethal Panthers of Ahmednagar played 17 matches in the tournament and scored 74 points with an outstanding winning efficiency of 88.23%. They lost only a single match in the tournament and had a tie under their name. Effective teamwork strategies with contributions from almost every single player from their squad, became the crucial factor in lifting the glorious YKS trophy. Prafull Sudam Zaware (171 Raid points), Ajit Pandurang Pawar (64 Tackle points), and Abhishek Narayan Pawar (56 Tackle points) were Ahmednagar’s top-performers in the league, followed by Ajit being the Top-Defender of the season.

Ahmednagar was in Pool A, and the competition was stiff in the inaugural stage with 8 teams in their Pool. The entire squad performed brilliantly, and with 6 wins and a tie, they finished at the top with 39 points, becoming the first team to qualify for the Promotion Round as well as the Playoffs. 

Panthers had a strong start to the promotion round, defeating the Thane District Hampi Heroes with a 10-point margin. This defeat changed their mindset toward the tournament, and Ahmednagar went on to win six consecutive matches and finished at the top of the table with an SD of 83 and 35 points. 

In the tournament’s final stage, the playoffs, Ahmednagar handsomely defeated Nanded District Chambal Challengers twice in Qualifier-3 and Semi-Final 1 to enter the Finals. The final battle was against the unexpected opponents and the majestic performers, the Nashik District Dwarka Defenders, where Ahmednagar’s Panthers defeated them by just 4 points and sealed the trophy in their cabinet. The all-around performances at the raiding and tackling fronts lead Ahmednagar to be the champions of this edition. A tremendous success rate of 56% and 49% in raiding and tackling fronts respectively drove their campaign toward the path of achieving consistency and establishing dominance over their counterparts. 

The journey ended positively for Ahmednagar District Periyar Panthers, and they will eye to continue and consolidate their performance in the future seasons ahead. Until then, it is a time to celebrate their success and train harder for future leagues.