Asian Games 2026: Indian men’s and women’s kabaddi teams given send-off

Following the Asian Games, both Indian squads are scheduled to compete in the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, to be held at Veer Savarkar Stadium, Ahmedabad, from October 10 to 20, 2026.

Updated : Sep 15, 2026 17:44 IST , GANDHINAGAR - 4 MINS READ

The two teams underwent their final preparatory camp at SAI NCOE Gandhinagar from September 5 to 14, 2026, in the run-up to the Asian Games. | Photo Credit: Sports Authority of India

The Indian men’s and women’s Kabaddi squads bound for the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 were given a warm send-off at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), Gandhinagar, on Tuesday.

The men’s squad is led by Head Coach Balwan Singh, with BC Ramesh and Anup Kumar as Assistant Coaches, while the women’s team is coached by Neeta Dadwe, with Mamtha Poojari as Assistant Coach. Both squads comprise 12 players, coaches and support staff.

The two teams underwent their final preparatory camp at SAI NCOE Gandhinagar from September 5 to 14, 2026, in the run-up to the Asian Games.

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Women’s team captain Pushpa Rana highlighted how the growing league culture in India is contributing not only to the development of Indian Kabaddi but also to the strengthening of the sport internationally. “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. The dedicated Kabaddi facilities here at SAI NCOE Gandhinagar have also provided us with a very good environment for our preparations,” she said.

India has the hugely popular Pro Kabaddi League which has been running for over a decade, bringing kabaddi talent from all over the world to India for a 12-team franchise tournament. This is a men’s event. Apart from exhibition games, there has been no women’s equivalent of the league.

The Indian men’s kabaddi team | Photo Credit: Sports Authority of India

Men’s team captain Sunil Kumar spoke about the changing nature of the sport and the increasingly competitive environment at the international level.

“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 team Head Coach Neeta Dadwe expressed confidence in the team’s preparations and highlighted the extensive training undertaken by the squad ahead of the Asian Games.

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“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 Bellare and finally the camp here at SAI, Gandhinagar. We are looking forward to the Games,” she said.

“We received very good support during our training camps here. The management was very receptive to our requirements and all our requirements were addressed promptly, which helped our preparations. The arrangements, including the Mess and the overall support extended to the teams, have been excellent. We are confident of doing our best at the Games.”

Men’s team Head Coach Balwan Singh lauded the commitment and hard work put in by both the men’s and women’s squads in the lead-up to the Asian Games and expressed confidence in their performance.

The Indian women’s team during the send-off event in SAI Gandhinagar | Photo Credit: Sports Authority of India

“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. We are grateful to SAI NCOE Gandhinagar and the management for the support extended to the teams during the camp,” he said.

The Indian women’s Kabaddi team won the gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, defeating Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a closely contested final, while the Indian men’s team also clinched gold, defeating Iran in a hugely controversial final that saw a nearly hour-long delay due to a dispute in point ruling.

Following the Asian Games, both Indian squads are scheduled to compete in the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, to be held at Veer Savarkar Stadium, Ahmedabad, from October 10 to 20, 2026.