Neeta Dadwe eyes another Asian Games gold with India women

India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams begin their Asian Games campaigns in Aichi-Nagoya on Monday, seeking to defend the gold medals won in Hangzhou. The men face Japan, while the women meet Bangladesh in their opening group matches

Hyderabad: India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams begin their campaign at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on September 21, with both sides entering as defending champions after winning gold at Hangzhou 2022.

The competition will be held at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium from September 21 to 26, with 10 men’s teams and eight women’s teams in the fray. The competition features a round-robin group stage followed by the semifinals and gold medal matches.

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India’s men have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Japan, the Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh. Group B features Iran, Nepal, Thailand, Pakistan and Malaysia, keeping India and Iran, the sport’s two leading powers, apart through the group phase.

India’s women are in Group A with Iran, Japan and Bangladesh, while Group B comprises Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal. Unlike the men, India’s women face Iran in the group stage itself, on September 23. India’s men open against Japan on September 21, while the women face Bangladesh the same day.

Teams to watch:

Iran stands out as the other major force in Asian Games kabaddi. It is the only nation besides India to have won Asian Games gold in both the men’s and women’s events. Iran ended India’s men’s run of seven consecutive gold medals at Jakarta 2018, while the Iranian women defeated India 27-24 in the final at the same Games.

India avenged both defeats at Hangzhou, beating Iran for the men’s gold, while the women defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a closely fought final. Chinese Taipei’s run to the women’s final established them as a leading team outside India and Iran, while Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea, both multiple Asian Games medallists, provide strong opposition in the men’s group. Hosts Japan will also have home support behind them.

India men’s head coach Balwan Singh has 14 international gold medals as a coach, a tally that includes all three of India’s men’s Kabaddi World Cup titles, won in 2004, 2007 and 2016. He will work alongside assistant coach B C Ramesh, who has won the Pro Kabaddi League twice — with Bengal Warriorz in Season 7 and Puneri Paltan in Season 10.

On the team’s approach to its opponents, Singh said no side would be taken lightly.

“We don’t consider any opponent to be weak. If we make a mistake somewhere, the opponent becomes heavier, so the focus has to be on making the fewest possible errors over the full 40 minutes,” he said, adding that the dressing room’s instruction to the players was to respect every rival regardless of the scoreline.

India’s women, coached by Neeta Dadwe and Mamtha Poojari, are seeking a fourth gold in five Asian Games appearances. They have medalled at every edition they have entered — gold in 2010, 2014 and 2022, and silver in 2018. Pushpa Rana has been named captain, with Sonali Shingate serving as vice-captain. Sanju Devi, the MVP of the 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup, is also part of the squad.

Assistant coach Mamtha Poojari has identified Iran and Chinese Taipei as India’s main tests in the tournament.

“Iran and Chinese Taipei are the teams we’re watching most closely,” she said, noting Iran’s high-tempo style throughout the 40 minutes of a match.

With Iran in the group stage on September 23 and Chinese Taipei potentially meeting India in the knockout stage, the women’s team faces a different route through the tournament from the men’s side, which will not meet Iran before the final if both teams advance that far.

The semifinals are scheduled for September 25, with the men’s and women’s gold medal matches on September 26.