Kabaddi at Asian Games 2022: A glimpse of how India thumped Iran to clinch gold
The Indian men’s kabaddi team won their eighth gold medal by defeating Iran in the final.
The Asian Games remain one of the most prestigious events in international kabaddi competition. It was included as an exhibition sport for the first time at the inaugural Asian Games held in New Delhi in 1951.
Kabaddi was showcased again as an exhibition sport in 1982, and finally, at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, it was included as an official medal event for the first time. Since Kabaddi is mostly popular in Asian nations, the Asian Games is one of the toughest competitions on the international circuit.
The Indian kabaddi team had dominated this event; this dominance was broken at the 2018 Asian Games when the Iranian team won the gold medal and South Korea secured the silver, while the Indian team had to settle for the bronze.
This was the first time the Indian team failed to win gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events, making the next Asian Games even more significant.
The 2022 Asian Games were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and took place in 2023. This time, the Indian team stepped onto the mat to assert their dominance.
India’s road to the 2022 Asian Games Kabaddi final
Kabaddi at the 2022 Asian Games was scheduled to be held at the Guali Cultural & Sports Centre, Xiaoshan District, China, from 2 to 7 October 2023.
A total of nine nations participated in the event, and a draw ceremony was held on 28 September 2023 in Hangzhou to determine the groups, with India being placed in Group A.
The Indian team won all four of their group-stage matches and topped Group A, while Chinese Taipei finished second in the group. In Group B, Iran won all three of their matches to finish at the top of the group, while Pakistan finished second.
The Indian team faced Pakistan in the semi-final and handed them a comprehensive 61–14 defeat, while Iran faced Chinese Taipei and secured a 47–24 victory.
India reclaim dominance in the 2022 Asian Games Kabaddi final
The arch-rivals met in the final once again, and this time, the Pawan Sehrawat-led India were prepared to take revenge.
India dominated the start of the game, but in the closing moments, the scores were tied. After that, a controversy arose over whether Pawan was the only player out or whether a few Iranian defenders were also out.
After a debate lasting more than an hour, the referee finally ruled in favour of the Indian team. India defeated Iran 33–29 to clinch another gold medal at the Asian Games, reaffirming their dominance in the sport.
Apart from captain Pawan Sehrawat, the star performers for India included Aslam Inamdar, Sunil Kumar, and Arjun Deshwal, among others, who delivered strong performances throughout the tournament and helped the team win the gold medal.
The Fazel Atrachali-led Iranian team had to settle for the silver medal this time. Their standout performer in the final was Mohammadreza Shadloui, who fought, but it was not enough to secure victory for his team.
Who was the captain of the Indian Men’s Kabaddi team at the Asian Games 2022?
Pawan Sehrawat captained the Indian Men’s Kabaddi team to a gold medal victory.
Which two teams faced each other in the final of the kabaddi event at the 2022 Asian Games?
India and Iran faced each other in the final of the kabaddi event at the 2022 Asian Games. India defeated Iran 33–29 in a closely contested match to win the gold medal, while Iran secured the silver medal.
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Kabaddi is old, but not older than my love for it. I am still a rookie, but kabaddi is one thing I have been following passionately since my childhood. I don't miss any matches of the league and I regularly follow domestic and international tournaments as well.