[Watch] Indian Kabaddi team refuses to shake hands with Pakistan at 3rd Asian Youth Games

Indian Kabaddi team registered a comfortable win over Pakistan at the 3rd Asian Youth Games.

The young stars of the Indian Kabaddi team are making headlines at the 3rd Asian Youth Games. The tournament began on 19th October in Bahrain, and India dominantly started their campaign, defeating Bangladesh by 83-19.

On the second day, they continued their winning streak with massive victories over Sri Lanka (89-16) and Pakistan (81-26). However, it wasn’t just India’s performance that caught everyone’s attention. A big drama happened again in the India vs Pakistan game, but this time in Kabaddi.

The Indian Kabaddi team captain refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team captain during the toss, an incident that has sparked discussion among Kabaddi fans across the globe.

The reason behind this trend

The “no handshake” trend began when the Indian Cricket Team, led by captain Suryakumar Yadav, refused to shake hands with the Pakistani players after their group stage fixture in the Asia Cup.

This gesture soon continued in other India–Pakistan encounters, including the matches played by the Indian women’s cricket team at the Cricket World Cup 2025.

This decision comes amid the ongoing tensions between the two countries following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 Indians lost their lives, and Operation Sindoor. The Indian Kabaddi team at the Asian Youth Games also followed the same stance when they faced Pakistan on 20th October in Bahrain.

During the toss, the Indian captain, Ishant Rathee, notably ignored the handshake offered by the Pakistani captain. Later, the Indian team dominated the match and secured a comfortable victory over their neighbours with a scoreline of 81–26.

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Kabaddi at the Asian Youth Games

The Asian Youth Games is a continental multi-sport event held every four years. In the first edition held in Singapore (2009) and the second edition in Nanjing, China (2013), Kabaddi was not part of the event.

This year marks the first time Kabaddi has been included in the Asian Youth Games. The Kabaddi event began on 19th October, and the final is scheduled for 23rd October. A total of seven teams are participating, with each team playing once against every other team, making it six matches per team.

There is no knockout stage; instead, the top two teams on the points table will compete in the final. Currently, India leads the table with three wins in three games, followed by Iran in second place with two victories in three games.

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