Tokai, Sep 26 (IANS): India women’s Kabaddi team captain Pushpa Rana called for the inclusion of Kabaddi in the Commonwealth Games and in the Olympic Games after India won a record-extending fourth gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
India defeated 2018 champions Iran by 37-34 in a close contest at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium here to defend the gold that they won in the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Speaking after the gold medal win, Pushpa highlighted the growth of the sport in other countries and emphasised the need to add it to the global CWG and Olympics stage and not only limit it to the continental showpiece.
“Iran is a very good team. They have produced some strong matches against us. Chinese Taipei is also doing very well. There is already improvement in all the countries. And we want Kabaddi to grow very well in all the countries so that Kabaddi can come to the Commonwealth Games and Olympics in the future,” she told IANS after the win.
She also emphasised the need to launch a full-fledged Women’s Pro Kabaddi League. “We want to get a good platform for children like the Pro Kabaddi, and women should get the same platform that the boys have got for Pro Kabaddi. Kabaddi should be added to the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. This is our demand,” she added.
Talking about the win, Pushpa stated that the team was focused on winning the gold medal. “This was in our minds from the beginning (winning gold). We played all the matches with the same mindset. We wanted to win every match even if the opposition team was strong. Every player knew how to bring the match in our favour,” she said.
She highlighted that the pressure of winning the gold was there, but they had practiced for the gold medal. “Yes, the silver would have been less. Kabaddi has mostly brought gold, so the pressure of that thing is always there.
“And all the Indians hoped that we would bring gold. So that was also there for all the players. But we have been able to apply our practice that we have worked hard for. Our coaches, federation and government supported us well,” she said, while dedicating the gold to the entire nation.
