Kabaddi at Asian Games 2023: Preview - On a mission to wrest back control 

Asian Games 2023: India, usually the kabaddi powerhouse at the Asiads, lost to Iran in the last edition, giving up its titles. Revenge will be on their minds. 

Published : Sep 29, 2023 21:48 IST , CHENNAI - 3 MINS READ

India is the most successful team at the Asian Games. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Kabaddi, a contact sport, made its debut at the Asian Games in Beijing in 1990. India clinched the gold in the inaugural edition, boasting a team that included notable figures like Ashan Kumar, the current men’s head coach. The women’s competition joined the roster in 2010 in Guangzhou. Indian men have secured seven out of eight gold medals at the Asian Games since its introduction, while the women have claimed two of the three golds since 2010.

However, the last Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, sent shockwaves through the Indian kabaddi community as both teams surrendered their crowns to Iran.

ALSO READ | Iran women’s kabaddi team sharpens skills under ‘Mrs Jain’ in India to defend Asian Games title

Iran played to its strengths in that 2018 Asiad men’s semifinal, blunting a star-studded raiding lineup with the super tackle. Ajay Thakur was left with a busted eyebrow early on in the match, derailing his momentum in the game. The Iranian defence, riding on the brilliance of Fazel Atrachali and Abouzar Mohajer Mighani, frustrated the rest of the lineup to complete a 27-18 win.

India’s showing in Jakarta throughout the tournament lacked coordination, and the defence failed to step up when the raiding unit ran out of ideas. A similar story unfolded in the women’s final. While the game was a more closely fought encounter, Iran’s defensive abilities helped overturn an early lead for the Indians to eke out a 27-24 win in the dying minutes of the final.

ALSO READ | Why Iran’s Kabaddi gold medal defence won’t be easy in Hangzhou Asian games

The Indian men’s team for the upcoming Asian Games in China is an entirely new assembly, with no members from the 2018 edition. India boasts one of the world’s premier raiding units, as demonstrated by their victory at the Asian Kabaddi Championship in Busan a few months ago. Iran sent a second-string squad for this tournament, with veterans like Atrachali and Mohammad Nabibakhsh staying back home in the national camp. India, though, has largely stuck to the core used in this tournament for its Asian Games campaign.

India’s defence had a few issues, with the side allowing opponents easy points and making mistakes with the advance tackle in almost every game. Has Ashan Kumar revealed all his cards too soon? Only time will tell. On paper, India’s raiding unit is superior to its opponents in skill and experience. India has the Pro Kabaddi League that’s kept these players in action, but the lack of international competitions (AKC 2023 and the Bangabandhu Cup in Bangladesh were among the only ones held in this five-year period) puts other nations at a major disadvantage.

ALSO READ | Avenged 2018 loss vs Iran, India primed for Asian Games gold: Ashan Kumar on India winning Asian Kabaddi Championship

The women’s team, despite limited international exposure, aims to regain the gold medal, and Iran, with an Indian coach at the helm, will hope to play spoilsport. The side even had a training camp in Mumbai.

Kabaddi at the Hangzhou Asian Games is scheduled from October 2 to 7 at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre. The men’s matches will last 40 minutes, with two halves of 20 minutes each and a five-minute interval in between. Women’s games will last 30 minutes (two halves of 15 minutes each, with a five-minute interval in between).

ALSO READ | Pro Kabaddi League coach Srinivas in charge of Bangladesh senior team’s destiny at Asian Games

Participating teams will be split into two groups. Each team will play one match against each other in the same group, with two points awarded for a win and one for a draw.

The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals. Losing semifinalists will be awarded bronze medals.

INDIAN KABADDI SQUAD
MEN’S TEAM:
Pawan Kumar Sehrawat, Nitesh Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Sunil Kumar, Nitin Rawal, Surjeet Singh, Vishal Bharadwaj, Sachin Tanwar, Arjun Deshwal, Aslam Inamdar, Akash Shinde and Naveen Kumar Goyat.
WOMEN’S TEAM:
Akshima, Jyoti, Pooja, Pooja, Priyanka, Pushpa, Sakshi Kumari, Ritu Negi, Nishi Sharma, Sushma Sharma, Snehal Shinde and Sonali Shingate.
MEN’S TEAMS
Group A
India, Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Chinese Taipei
Group B
Iran, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia
MEN’S KABADDI SCHEDULE
October 2, Monday - Japan vs Bangladesh - 6:00 AM - Group A
October 2, Monday - Thailand vs Chinese Taipei - 7:00 AM - Group A
October 2, Monday - Iran vs Pakistan - 11:30 AM - Group B
October 2, Monday - Malaysia vs Korea - 12:30 PM - Group B
October 3, Tuesday - India vs Bangladesh - 6:00 AM - Group A
October 3, Tuesday - Chinese Taipei vs Japan - 7:00 AM - Group A
October 3, Tuesday - Malaysia vs Iran - 11:30 AM - Group B
October 3, Tuesday - Pakistan vs South Korea - 12:30 PM - Group B
October 4, Wednesday - India vs Thailand - 6:00 AM - Group A
October 4, Wednesday - Chinese Taipei vs Bangladesh - 7:00 AM - Group A
October 4, Wednesday - Iran vs South Korea - 11:30 AM - Group B
October 4, Wednesday - Malaysia vs Pakistan - 12:30 PM - Group B
October 5, Thursday - Thailand vs Japan - 7:00 AM - Group A
October 5, Thursday - India vs Chinese Taipei - 8:00 AM - Group A
October 5, Thursday - Bangladesh vs Thailand - 12:30 PM - Group A
October 5, Thursday - Japan vs India - 1:30 PM - Group A
October 6, Friday - Semifinal 1 - 12:30 PM - Bronze medal
October 6, Friday - Semifinal 2 - 1:30 PM - Bronze medal
October 6, Friday - Final - 12:30 PM - Gold medal
Women’s Teams
Group A
India, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Republic of Korea
Group B
Iran, Bangladesh, Nepal
WOMEN’S KABADDI SCHEDULE
October 2, Monday - Bangladesh vs Nepal - 8:00 AM - Group B
October 2, Monday - India vs Chinese Taipei - 1:30 PM - Group A
October 2, Monday - Thailand vs South Korea - 2:20 PM - Group A
October 3, Tuesday - Nepal vs Iran - 8:00 AM - Group B
October 3, Tuesday - South Korea vs India - 1:30 PM - Group A
October 3, Tuesday - Chinese Taipei vs Thailand - 2:20 PM - Group A
October 4, Wednesday - Iran vs Bangladesh - 8:00 AM - Group B
October 4, Wednesday - India vs Thailand - 1:30 PM - Group A
October 4, Wednesday - South Korea vs Chinese Taipei - 2:20 PM - Group A
October 6, Friday - Semifinal 1 - 7:00 AM - Bronze medal
October 6, Friday - Semifinal 2 - 7:50 AM - Bronze medal
October 7, Saturday Final 7:00 AM - Gold medal Match

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