Indus Valley Times

NEW DELHI, SEP 26 : For Pushpa Rana, coming into the Asian Games, the goal was simple. It was her second time at the games and her debut as the captain of the Indian women’s kabaddi team. And as she will leave Japan, the Indian captain will return with a gold medal around her neck, all thanks to her team.

“You can probably see from my eyes how happy I am. This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. When a player starts playing, representing their country as a leader is always a dream. I got the opportunity to lead India here, and I am going home with a gold medal. I am extremely happy and honestly cannot express how I feel,” said Pushpa.

India defeated Iran in a thriller to win the women’s kabaddi gold, their fourth overall. But the Indian women were made to work for their gold medal in a final that was far removed from their relatively comfortable wins earlier in the tournament.

Iran stayed within touching distance for almost the entire contest, forcing the Indian team to withstand sustained pressure before eventually securing a 37-34 victory.

The raiding battle went India’s way, with the champions collecting 26 out points compared to Iran’s 21. Iran, however, made up ground through bonus points, taking eight to India’s six and ensuring the contest remained finely poised well into the second half.

India established a six-point cushion at half-time, going into the break 22-16 ahead. They managed 16 out points, three bonus points and an All-Out during the opening 15 minutes. Iran remained competitive largely through their seven bonus points, but India were able to produce the key moments when the teams were locked together.

The momentum shifted after the restart as Iran raised the intensity. They won the second half 18-15 and eventually reduced India’s advantage to just one point at 27-26 after completing an All-Out. For the first time in the match, India were under serious pressure.

But even at that moment, Pushpa never doubted her team.

“Our mindset throughout was that, no matter what happened, the match would remain in our favour. We wanted to fight until the very last moment, and we believed we would win,” said Pushpa.

That was when Sanju Devi produced a crucial Super Raid to give India some much-needed breathing room. The captain also stepped up and then followed it up by engineering another All-Out, allowing India to regain control of the contest.

Pooja added further points as Iran’s defence began to show signs of uncertainty, stretching India’s advantage. The Iranian side continued to fight, producing a Super Tackle and adding 14 out points during the second half, but their late push fell short.

India held on to complete a successful defence of their crown. Pusha summed it up the best with her parting words on the day about the team and what made the win more special.

“The biggest factor was our team unity. Whenever a match became difficult or someone came under pressure, the entire team was there to support them. Our coaches also played a huge role. They always prepared us for matches in a relaxed, fun and motivating environment and helped us go out on the mat with confidence,” said Pushpa.

India have now won four out of the five Asian Games women’s kabaddi golds till now.

-PTI