27 September,2026 09:03 AM IST | Mumbai | Subodh Mayure
India’s men’s kabaddi teams with their respective gold medals in Tokai City, Japan, on Saturday. Pics/PTI
[popcorn number="Nine" desc="No. of times India's men have won gold in 10 Asian Games kabaddi editions" class="Default"]
[popcorn number="Four" desc="No. of times India's women have won gold in five Asian Games kabaddi editions" class="Default"]
It was a double delight for Indian kabaddi fans at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan on Saturday as the Sunil Kumar-led Indian men's team and the Pushpa Rana-led women's outfit, both clinched gold medals in their respective finals.
Though the Indian men started slowly, their experience of winning gold nine times in 10 Asian Games editions was handy as they bounced back to beat Iran 40-34.
"Though we were prepared and expecting this gold, it's a big achievement as we showcased our dominance in kabaddi again. Iran is not a big team. If they come across us somewhere else, we can beat them one-sided," Indian men's team head coach BC Ramesh told mid-day over the phone from Nagoya. Ramesh, who was part of India's gold-medal-winning teams at the 1998 Bangkok and 2002 Busan Asian Games, admitted that his players succumbed to pressure in the first half, when Iran took a slender one-point lead.
"There was pressure of playing a final. Initially, Iran played aggressively, but we changed our plan. Sumit [Sangwan] and Arjun [Deshwal] capitalised on the opportunities well," Ramesh added. India's 2007 Kabaddi World Cup-winning captain Pankaj Shirsat reckoned Deshwal's surprise element stunned the opponents.
"India's experience counted. Arjun was not getting regular chances in earlier games and that charged him up to deliver in the decider," Shirsat told mid-day.
Earlier, the Indian women's team beat Iran 37-34 to retain their gold medal. India head coach Neeta Dadwe hailed the team's unity and praised her players for delivering when it mattered. "We are like a family. Even those who were not playing never showed any negativity; instead, they helped everyone and that created a winning habit. This gold medal is very prestigious for me," Dadwe told mid-day.
India had already beaten Iran in the group stage, but the Iranians put up a tough fight in the final.
"Iran played a fearless game in the first half, but we changed our strategy to bounce back. Puja Hathwala's all-round performance, along with Nikita Kumari and Sanju Devi's top-class show, played a vital role," Dadwe said. Dadwe also felt Iran's kabaddi has flourished with Indian guidance.
"When we were having our preparatory camp in Gujarat, Iran players were on an India tour. They played lots of matches in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and other states. Even our Shailaja Jain was their coach in 2018 [when they beat India to win gold at the Incheon Asian Games]. If our coaches go there and teach them our style, what will happen? Kabaddi is our Indian game and we should not encourage our coaches to go there," Dadwe added.
