Asian Games 2023: Pawan Sehrawat is likely to lead the Indian Men’s Kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2023. Men’s and Women’s teams comprising 12 players each were announced on Friday, 25th August by the Sports Ministry. The Men’s squad has a big surprise as experienced raider Pardeep Narwal has failed to make the cut.
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Men’s Squad
The Men’s team comprise star raiders Naveen Kumar and Pawan Sehrawat. Arjun Deshwal, who was the top raider from the most recent Pro Kabaddi League season also finds himself in the squad. Three more raiders in Aslam Inamdar, Sachin and Akash Shinde are also named in the squad.
The squad also has six defenders led by veterans Parvesh Bhainswal, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Sunil Kumar. Surjeet Singh, Nitesh Kumar and Nitin Rawal also lends experience to the squad.
The team will be coached by Ashan Kumar. Indian Men’s team won the bronze medal in the previous edition of the Asian Games. None of the 12 athletes named in the upcoming edition’s squad competed in Jakarta in 2018. Indian men have dominated at the Asian Games so far. The sport was introduced in the 1990 Games. Since then, India have taken home seven of the eight gold medals.
Indian men’s kabaddi team: Nitesh Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Sachin, Surjeet Singh, Vishal Bhardwaj, Arjun Deshwal, Aslam Inamdar, Naveen Kumar, Pawan Sehrawat, Sunil Kumar, Nitin Rawal, Akash Shinde.
Women’s Squad
A 12-member Indian women’s kabaddi team was also announced for the Asian Games. Sakshi Kumari, Sonali Vishnu Shingate and Ritu Negi – silver medallists from Jakarta 2018 – were among those who clinched a place in the squad for Hangzhou.
Women’s Kabaddi was introduced to the Asian Games in 2010. India women won gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 editions. The team lost the final against Iran in the previous edition at Jakarta.
Indian women’s kabaddi team: Akshima, Jyoti, Pooja, Pooja, Priyanka, Pushpa, Sakshi Kumari, Ritu Negi, Nidhi Sharma, Sushma Sharma, Snehal Pradeep Shinde, Sonali Vishnu Shingat.
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