Junior kabaddi meet serves as platform to identify talents

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The Milo-Kabaddi Association of Selangor(KAS)-Selangor Schools Sports Council (MSSS) inter-district kabaddi championships, in Kuala Selangor on Nov 3 and 4, is expected to be an exciting affair.

The championships, catering for Under-12 and Under-18 for both boys and girls, will be held at the SMK Pengkalan Permatang ground.

The KAS are looking for new talents to beef up their squads for the 2013 Malaysia Games. — Noor Azli Abdul Rahman

Selangor Education Department sports unit head Noor Azli Abdul Rahman said the championships would be an excellent platform for the KAS to identify players for their development programmes.

“The KAS are looking for new talents to beef up their squads for the 2013 Malaysia Games. The Under-18 age group will be an opportunity for KAS to spot new talents,’’ said Noor Azli after the draw in Shah Alam recently.

The champions and runners-up in both the age groups in last year’s championships in Hulu Selangor were given top billing.

The championships has been in the MSSS calendar since 2003. The partnership between KAS and MSSS has played an important role in Selangor’s success in the 2010 and 2011 Malaysia Games.

In the 2010 Malaysia Games in Malacca, Selangor won both the men and women’s gold medals. In the men’s final, Selangor defeated Negri Sembilan while in the women’s section, they upstaged Johor.

In this year’s Malaysia Games, hosted by the National Sports Council (NSC) in Bukit Jalil, Selangor were once again champions in the men and women categories. In both the finals, Selangor defeated fancied Kuala Lumpur.

Noor Azli said they were also pleased when the Selangor State Sports Council (MSNS) presented the 2010 Most Promising Sportswoman award to kabaddi player J. Jananiejay recently.

“She was a product of the MSSS championships. Likewise many players had gone to play for Selangor as well as the national teams,’’ said Noor Azli.

MSSS kabaddi technical chairman V. Muralee said the teams were divided into two groups.

“After the preliminary rounds, the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. We are offering individual medals to the best player in each category,’’ said Muralee.