The Indian men's kabaddi team will return to the mat for the first time in three years as Pawan Sehrawat and co. get going at the 2023 Asian Kabaddi Championships in Busan, South Korea, from Tuesday onwards. India's 12-member squad features many prominent names who excelled in season 9 of the Pro Kabaddi League such as Arjun Deshwal, Naveen Kumar, Aslam Inamdar and Nitin Rawal, with Pawan also returning from a lengthy injury layoff.
What is the format?
India will take on five nations - Iran, South Korea, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong - in the four-day event and the two teams that top the table at the end of the group stage will battle it out in the final on June 30. The Asian Kabaddi Championships are being held after a gap of seven years and India go into the tourney as the defending champions after beating Pakistan to the title in 2017.
What's at stake for the Indian kabaddi team?
The Asian Kabaddi Championships serve as a perfect litmus test for the Indian men's kabaddi team ahead of this year's Asian Games.
The national team has gone through a series of changes with the old guard [Ajay Thakur, Manjeet Chhilar] being replaced by younger talents. A handful of players, such as Aslam and Mohit Goyat, are making their India debuts and the Asian Kabaddi Championships offers them some much-needed game time.
A win for team India here would augur well going into the Asian Games, where they will look to snatch back the crown from Iran.
And Pawan is back on the mat?
He sure is! The Hi-Flyer has fully recovered since tearing his ACL in the very first game of PKL S9. He spent close to six months on the sidelines before joining the national camp and finding his footing. His addition to the team is a massive boost because he doubles up as an able defender to complement his phenomenal raiding skills.
Pawan Sehrawat back on his feet, sets sights on Asian Games
What's the level of competition like?
It's not the highest level of competition, in all honesty. Iran, India's main competitors, have sent a second-string youth team without the likes of Fazel Atrachali or Mohammed Esmaeil Nabibakhsh, while South Korea could pose a challenge but they also have not named their main players such as Jang Kun Lee and Dong Geon Lee.
India could face some resistance from Chinese Taipei, who finished runner-up at the Bangabandhu Kabaddi Cup this year, but shouldn't break sweat in getting past the likes of Japan or Hong Kong.
Who are the key players to look out for at the Asian Kabaddi Championships?
Apart from the Indians, some of the key players to watch out for at the Asian Kabaddi Championships include Iran's Mohammadreza Shadloui, who is among PKL's most successful defenders in recent times. Shadloui is pivotal to Iran's success, while Heydar Ali Akrami is also a player to keep an eye on.
What is India's full schedule at the Asian Kabaddi Championships?
India begin their campaign with a double-header on Tuesday. They face off against host nation South Korea and then take on Chinese Taipei later in the day. Here is India's full schedule at the Asian Kabaddi Championships:
June 27: India vs South Korea [10:30am IST], India vs Chinese Taipei [12:30pm]
June 28: India vs Japan [11:30am]
June 29: India vs Iran [10:30am]
June 30: India vs Hong Kong [7:30am], Final [10:30am]
What is India's full squad for the Asian Kabaddi Championships?
India's full team for the Asian Kabaddi Championships is as follows -
Indian men's kabaddi team: Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Naveen Kumar, Aslam Inamdar, Mohit Goyat, Sachin Tawar, Surjeet Singh, Nitin Rawal, Sunil Kumar, Nitesh Kumar, Parvesh Bhainswal, Vishal Bhardwaj, Vijay Malik [stand-by player], Shubham Shinde [stand-by player].
Coaches: Ashan Kumar and Sanjeev Baliyan.
Team Manager: Edachery Bhaskaran.
Where can I watch the Asian Kabaddi Championships live in India?
You can watch the Asian Kabaddi Championships live in India on the competition's official Youtube channel.