Recently, the 71st Maharashtra State Selection Trials for Kabaddi were concluded. A total of 31 teams in women's category had participated for the championship. The tournament comprised of some of the most popular and strong teams, and also a few amateur teams which were there to make their mark. And amidst all the heavy weights like Palghar, Pimpri Chinchwad, Mumbai Upnagar Pune City and a few other, it was actually the team from Ratnagiri which impressed everyone with their stellar performance.

Although not exactly underdogs, but neither being the heavyweights, Ratnagiri was not much considered to be the champions by the opponent teams and the Kabaddi world. But the 12 girls from the coastal district of Ratnagiri had plans to prove all of them wrong. And boy, they didn't just plan it but executed it to perfection by wiping off the early chapters of history and rewriting it by reaching the finals of the tournament history for the very first time.

The tournament started for them on 18th July, when they were placed in H Group. Out of the 4 teams in the group, only 2 were present, thereby confirming both teams place in pre-quarterfinals. Therefore they had only one game to get a chance to acclimatize and get some ground time before proceeding to next round. And in the only league match between Kolhapur and Ratnagiri, the team in orange outnumbered Kolhapur by 18 points, giving the first glimpse of what their plans are for the tournament. They had a challenge to face opponents having a ground time of 3 matches, when they themselves had just a time of 1 match on the mattress.

But the team didn't let that affect their outcome in the pre quarterfinals as they brutally thrashed their neighbours Sindhudurg by winning the game 60-12. Only the one's awake in the night at 12:30 am witnessed the team's success. The place in quarterfinals was sealed, but their encounter was supposed to be against favourites Palghar. And what was thought to be an easy match for Palghar ended going Ratnagiri's way. A nail biter saw the team in Orange firstly trail by a significant points, but eventually a counter-attack ensured that they took on the Palghar team thereby gaining the lead and winning the thriller by 2 points.

With every victory, the Ratnagirikars made a strong statement, and with every win of theirs, they astonished the entire state, who thought that every further match would be their last. Especially knowing that the semifinals was against the local team of Pimpri Chinchwad was a herculean task for Ratnagiri. Pimpri Chinchwad was high on confidence, after their miraculous turnaround of winning the game after trailing by a whopping 19 points. The locals favoured Pimpri Chinchwad, but skills and fortune favoured Ratnagiri, as they kept a lead consistently thereby winning yet another game by a margin of 2 points.

For the first time in the history of the tournament, Ratnagiri women's kabaddi team had stormed into the finals of the tournament. The news of team's victory spread like a wild fire in the district of Ratnagiri, who now regained all the hopes of a victory. And within 3 days, Ratnagiri managed to grab the attention of Kabaddi circuit, who now wanted to see the finals. And the team didn't disappoint them. Once trailing by 10 points, the team resurrected when Samrin Burondkar raided and gained points for Ratnagiri. The match eventually ended Pune's way as Ratnagiri lost by 4 points. But their homework for opposition captain Saloni Gajmal was commendable and it blended with immaculate execution made it a treat to watch. Eventually Ratnagiri lost the match, but in process won many hearts.

The final was lost, but a benchmark was beautifully set by Ratnagiri team. The team which was not in contention of the title, suprised everyone with sheer excellence and the will to succeed. Their achievements are way more than just winning the silver. It's more about uniting an entire district for a sport which didn't happen often. The achievement is also stated in the fact that the team's ranking has gone significantly up, without mentioning that the respect for them in the kabaddi circuit has also peaked newer heights. When I was in stands, I listened to countless whispers and murmurs about Punekars praising Ratnagiri team. And honestly, that was very well deserved. As a native of Ratnagiri district, I can proudly say that the tigresses of our district have made everyone proud. And I'm blessed to be a small part of their journey. I wish all these superwomen good luck for their future endeavours.

Ratnagiri team: Divya Sakpal (captain), Samrin Burondkar, Tasnim Burondkar, Siddhi Chalke, Gauri Kadam, Pratiksha Chavhan, Supriya Thore, Sara Shinde, Dipali Kambli, Chinmayi Dhagale, Gauri Jadhav, Mugdha Shirke

Coach: Daji Rajguru sir
Team Manager: Sampada Gujrathi Madam