Tackling the pressure of a gold medal defence - Iran Kabaddi at the 2023 Asian Games Premium

Iran, which ended India kabaddi’s hegemony in the Asian Games, will look for an encore but will it be as straightforward this time around? 

Ask die-hard Indian kabaddi fans about the events of August 23, 2018, and there will be collective amnesia. India, a gold medallist at the Asian Games since the sport’s induction, fell to a stunning 18-27 loss to archrival Iran in the semifinal in Jakarta. The players were shell-shocked; the Indian fans, whose boisterous cheers reverberated through the Garuda Hall in the Indonesian capital until about the 30-minute mark, had tears in their eyes.

Ajay Thakur, the Indian skipper, had a cut on his right eyebrow from a tackle earlier in the game. Once the final whistle blew, one could see him on the bench with his teammates and coaches convincing him to come away, but he just sat there, almost numb, with the blood stains on his shirt drying up as the minutes passed. In the days to come, the squad, no matter its legacy, would be torn apart. After seven consecutive golds, the honours board and the podium top step was cleared for Iran.

The Asian Games is here once more and Indian kabaddi is waiting for revenge, a five-year itch that’s shaped the skills and sensibilities of a whole new generation of players. But is Iran still the same bogey team?

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Playing catch up

The image of that Indian squad sulking on the dais with the bronze medal reinforced the nation’s faith and reliance on its basics. India’s domestic kabaddi structure is second to none. Public sector undertakings, arms of the military and states make up a busy calendar at the age group and senior levels. What sets India apart is also a flourishing franchise set up, with the ProKabaddi League (PKL) heading into its 10th edition this year. PKL has been an attractive financial and competitive option for some of the best kabaddi players from other countries, including the Iranians.

So much so, blame was also pinned on the league after the defeat in the 2018 Asian Games for opening up the Indian set-up and blunting the dagger. The Indian hand in Iran’s rise in kabaddi goes beyond the PKL.