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Here are all the key updates from December 18, Monday:
Punjab FC earn first-ever ISL win
Punjab FC earned their first-ever win in the Indian Super League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chennaiyin FC at home. Madih Talal scored the defining goal of the game to ensure a first win for the newly-promoted side in their eleventh attempt.
Despite Punjab's lowly position in the table they were the dominant side for much of the game, Talal drawing an excellent save from Debjit Majumder in the Chennaiyin goal and later striking the crossbar with an overhead kick in the first half. Talal broke the deadlock in the 56th minute with a superb solo effort, turning past Jiteshwor Singh into the box and slamming the ball into the roof of the net from a narrow angle. Juan Mera nearly doubled Punjab's lead late on, but there was controversy in injury time as Jordan Murray's headed attempt into the net was ruled out for a foul on the Punjab keeper.
The win propels Punjab to tenth in the table with eight points, four points behind Chennaiyin FC, who occupy the last playoff spot.
PKL: Warriors and UP tie, while Puneri Paltan win
It was another thrilling night of Pro Kabaddi action at the Balewadi complex in Pune, with the crowd witnessing a tie and later saw their home team rocket to top spot in the PKL table.
Bengal Warriors and UP Yoddha began the night with a see-saw contest that saw UP Yoddhas maintain a slender lead throughout the first half leading 18-14 at the break. Surender Gill was in fine form as he racked up 18 points, with his side looking destined to win after inflicting an all-out with 5 minutes to go and a 5 point lead. However, the UP Yoddhas committed a fair few errors that let the Warriors back into the match, with it finishing 37-37.
With the Warriors having tied, Puneri Paltan could move to the top of the table on score difference if they managed a win and that's precisely what the home side did. With Naveen 'Express' Kumar unavailable for Delhi, Puneri Paltan capitalised, with Mohit Goyat and Aslam Mustafa racking up the points. Ashu Malik tried in vain for Delhi with 9 points, but it proved to not be enough as the home side ran out 30-23 winners.
Kalinga Super Cup draw announced
Odisha FC's bid to defend their Super Cup title appears quite difficult as the hosts were drawn alongside current ISL table-toppers, FC Goa, and last season's runners-up, Bengaluru FC in Group D. The Kalinga Super Cup, as it's now known, will take place in Bhubaneswar as a mid-season tournament, from January 9 to 28. It comes with the same reward as last year, with the winners earning a AFC competition playoff spot.
The Super Cup will also witness a Kolkata derby as Mohun Bagan and East Bengal have been drawn in the same group. However, with India's best players away at the AFC Asian Cup, it might be a different affair, especially with the AIFF allowing clubs to field up to six foreigners.
The tournament features all twelve ISL teams, as well as four of these five I-League teams :Gokulam Kerala FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC, Shillong Lajong FC, Inter Kashi, and Rajasthan United FC. The top three of these teams according to the I-League table on December 25, 2023 will automatically qualify, with the last two facing off in a playoff.
The sixteen teams are split into groups of four and the winner of each group progresses to the semifinal.
Kalinga Super Cup 2024 Group Stage Draw
GROUP A: Mohun Bagan SG, East Bengal FC, Hyderabad FC, I-League 1
GROUP B: Kerala Blasters FC, NorthEast United FC, Jamshedpur FC, I-League 2
GROUP C: Mumbai City FC, Chennaiyin FC, Punjab FC, I-League 3
GROUP D: FC Goa, Odisha FC, Bengaluru FC, I-League 4 (winner of qualifying play-off)
What happened yesterday?
There were Indian champions at the Odisha Masters BWF Super 100 as Sathish Kumar Karunakaran won the men's singles title, while Tanisha Crasto and Dhruv Kapila won the mixed doubles.
Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba posted wins in the Pro Kabaddi League.
Odisha FC earned a comfortable 3-0 win over bottom-placed Hyderabad FC in the ISL.
You can check all the details of yesterday's news events here.