New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) As the Indian women’s Kabaddi team prepares to compete at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, captain Pushpa Rana and Pooja Kajla feel confident and motivated to defend India’s gold. The team is strongly aiming for first place.

Rana, tasked with leading the 12-member squad, stated that the team has been preparing diligently by analysing opponents and focusing on areas of improvement highlighted by the coaching staff.

“First of all, we practice according to the situation. We also analyse the videos of the upcoming matches. Our coaches also tell us about the shortcomings of the past and what needs to be improved. And now we are working on that. I think our team is well prepared,” said Rana.

Kabaddi has always been a highly anticipated event at the Asian Games, with India securing 11 gold medals, including three in women’s categories. The Indian women’s team aims to defend their title from Hangzhou, where they narrowly defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in the final. Additionally, they won the World Cup last November. Rana feels that the expectation to repeat their success boosts their confidence instead of adding pressure.

“Yes, I feel that motivation. When our seniors have already done a good job, they have made their own history, so it is upto us to maintain that momentum. So, we see it as motivation; we don’t see it as pressure. We are also working hard to maintain that momentum,” she said.

Rana emphasised the value of experience in the squad as she steps into her first captaincy role. Having previously been vice-captain, she continues to depend on senior players like Ritu Negi and Sonali Shingate for guidance in building team cohesion.

“I rely a lot on the seniors because they are already captains like Ritu Negi and Sonali Shingate. So, their advice is very important to me,” said Rana.

She also pointed out Chinese Taipei as a team to watch, remembering their narrow 26-25 victory at the last Asian Games.

For Arjuna awardee Pooja Kajla, the opportunity to secure another Asian Games gold medal also presents a chance to motivate future generations of women athletes.

“First of all, it is very important to win gold at the Asian Games. Along with that, as we talk about the girls of the cricket World Cup, there are also juniors who are very inspired by the success of Indian women in sport. So, if we bring gold, then small children get inspired by us and they will also ask their parents to let them play,” said Kajla.

Kajla also praised the team’s preparation at the strength and conditioning camp, organized jointly by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the Pro Kabaddi League organizers, for aiding players in developing better recovery and performance habits.

“They gave us a few more classes on sleep and recovery. So, I got to learn a lot from there,” she said.

The Kabaddi event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games starts on September 21, with India’s women competing against Bangladesh in their first Group A match. They will then play Iran on September 23 and Japan on September 24. The semi-finals are scheduled for September 25, followed by the gold medal game on September 26.

Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team for 2026 Asian Games: Pushpa Rana (captain), Ritu Negi, Sonali Shingate, Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Raj Rani, Nikita Kumari

--IANS

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