The Indian men’s and women’s Kabaddi teams received a warm send-off at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence in Gandhinagar on Tuesday, ahead of their campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
Both teams completed their final training camp at the SAI NCOE from September 5 to 14. The squads were given a traditional welcome, with players receiving tika and garlands, while coaches, captains and vice-captains were presented with traditional shawls.
The Indian teams will enter the Asian Games looking to defend the gold medals they won at the previous edition in Hangzhou in 2022. The women’s team defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a closely fought final, while the men’s team beat Iran to claim the gold medal.
The men’s team is coached by Balwan Singh, with BC Ramesh and Anup Kumar as assistant coaches. Neeta Dadwe is the head coach of the women’s team, with former India star Mamtha Poojari as her assistant.
Women’s captain Pushpa Rana said the growth of domestic leagues has helped Indian Kabaddi while also raising the standard of the sport around the world.
“The league culture in our country is not only helping develop our own team and our players, but is also strengthening Kabaddi in other countries. Players and coaches from different countries are getting exposure through our leagues and taking that experience back to their respective countries. This is helping the standard of the sport grow internationally,” Rana said.
She also praised the facilities at the Gandhinagar centre and said they had provided the team with a good environment for preparation.
Men’s captain Sunil Kumar spoke about how Kabaddi has changed in recent years.
“Kabaddi has evolved significantly. The game is becoming faster and more tactical, and the competition at the international level is increasing. The training environment here has been very good, particularly the Strength and Conditioning facilities, which have supported our physical preparation. We are prepared for the challenge and will give our best at the Asian Games,” he said.
Women’s coach Neeta Dadwe said the team had gone through several camps before reaching Gandhinagar.
“We are very well prepared. We had a 15-day training camp in May, followed by a month-long camp in June, then another month-long camp at JSW Ballari and finally the camp here at SAI, Gandhinagar. We are looking forward to the Games,” she said.
Men’s coach Balwan Singh also backed both squads after their preparations.
“Both the men’s and women’s teams have worked extremely hard during the camp. The players have shown great commitment, discipline and dedication throughout the preparation, and the quality of training gives us confidence about our performance at the Games,” he said.
After the Asian Games, both teams are scheduled to compete at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad from October 10 to 20.