Tick kabaddi for a certain gold

The Indian men’s kabaddi team will once again step on to the mat with one objective in mind, to deliver the ultimate combination of style and substance.

Be it Beijing, Bangkok or Busan, the ‘Blues’ has been bossing it, bashing their rivals with brilliant displays in front of boisterous crowds. It is now time for Indians to conquer Indonesia with their impeccable showing in the upcoming Asian Games, starting August 18.

If there is one sport the country is assured of a gold medal even before the kick-start of an event, it is kabaddi. The 12-member Indian contingent will look to rule the roost in the 13-metre long playing surface. The seven-time champion will be marshalled by Ajay Thakur, who led the Indian triumph at the Kabaddi Masters Dubai. The squad is not a copy paste of one that made its trip to the United Arab Emirates, with Gangadhari Mallesh securing a spot.

World Cup winning coach Kasinathan Baskaran opined the Indians will continue their dominant run at the quadrennial event. Indian men have never failed to clinch gold since 1990, bringing home the precious yellow metal for seven times in a row. “I feel the streak will continue. The entire squad is pretty strong unlike other nations where the bench is weak. The presence of all-rounders (Sandeep Narwal and Deepak Niwas Hooda) makes us look solid on paper,” said Baskaran, who was part of the title-winning Asian Games team in 1994.  

“India is always a strong contender but, it will have to come up with new solutions when difficult situations are thrown at it,” added the former Tamil Thalaivas head coach.  

The side has a reliable raiding department in its arsenal, enjoying the services of a three-pronged attack which includes six men. As Ajay is set to be the first name on the team sheet, the remaining two attacking slots will be shared between the quintet which consists of Pardeep Narwal, Monu Goyat, Rishank Devadiga, Rahul Chaudhari and Rohit Kumar.

Despite being one of the most sought after raiders in the Pro Kabaddi League, Deepak Hooda will settle for one of the defensive positions, likely on the left side. Girish Maruti Ernak, Sandeep Narwal and Mohit Chhillar combine to form one of the deadliest defensive combinations.

India’s closest challenger will be Iran, which shockingly omitted former skipper Meraj Sheikh from its squad. Despite his exclusion, the travelling unit constitutes Fazel Atrachali, Abozar Mohajermighani, Hadi Oshtorak and Abolfazl Maghsoudhlou, all of whom have decent PKL experience. The Persian nation will hope to avenge its final failures in 2010 and 2014. 

South Korea, which produced a huge upset on the opening day of the Kabaddi WC 2016, will probably battle hard for bronze with the likes of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand. The Indian women’s team will also start clear favourite to gain top spot, having won it in the previous two editions.

Men’s squad: Ajay Thakur (captain), Girish Maruti Ernak, Deepak Hooda, Mohit Chhillar, Sandeep Narwal, Pardeep Narwal, Rishank Devadiga, Raju Lal Choudhary, Rahul Chaudhari, Rohit Kumar, Gangadhari Mallesh and Monu Goyat.