Asian Games 2023: Pawan Sehrawat, Naveen Kumar headline Indian men’s kabaddi team - full squad
Sonali Vishnu Shingate and Ritu Negi will lead the women’s campaign at Hangzhou 2023.
Star raiders Naveen Kumar and Pawan Sehrawat will headline a 12-member Indian men’s kabaddi team for the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China next month.
The Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Games was released by the sports ministry on Friday.
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 made the cut for Hangzhou.
Arjun Deshwal, the top raider from the last season of the popular Pro Kabaddi League, has been included in the men’s squad. The Indian men's kabaddi team includes seasoned defenders Parvesh Bhainswal, Vishal Bhardwaj and Sunil Kumar as well.
None of the 12 players, however, were part of the team that represented India at the previous Asian Games at Jakarta 2018.
PKL stars Pardeep Narwal and Deepak Niwas Hooda, who were part of the Indian team at the Asian Games 2018, did not make the cut for Hangzhou.
Trials to select the men’s team were held on July 9 at the I.G. Stadium in New Delhi while the women’s trials were held at the SAI Center in Bengaluru on July 10.
Kabaddi was introduced at the Asian Games during the 1990 edition in Beijing, China. Since then, it has been a part of every Asian Games programme.
Indian men have won seven of the eight gold medals at the Asian Games so far. They lost to Iran in the semi-final last time out at Jakarta 2018 to settle for a bronze.
In the eight Asian Games so far, the Indian men’s kabaddi team has lost just two matches – both at Jakarta 2018.
Last month, India won the Asian Kabaddi Championship title after beating Iran in the final. Narwal and Hooda did not play in the tournament.
Asian Games 2023 kabaddi: Team India
Indian men’s kabaddi team for Asian Games: Nitesh Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Sachin, Surjeet Singh, Vishal Bhardwaj, Arjun Deshwal, Aslam Inamdar, Naveen Kumar, Pawan Sehrawat, Sunil Kumar, Nitin Rawal, Akash Shinde.
Indian women’s kabaddi team for Asian Games: Akshima, Jyoti, Pooja, Pooja, Priyanka, Pushpa, Sakshi Kumari, Ritu Negi, Nidhi Sharma, Sushma Sharma, Snehal Pradeep Shinde, Sonali Vishnu Shingat.