India has won seven titles in eight Asian Kabaddi Championships, making them the most successful men’s team. Iran manages to win the 2003 competition in Kangar, Malaysia. India will be the champions going into the 2023 edition of the continental title in Busan after defeating Pakistan in 2017.
Since 1990, Indian men have won seven of the eight gold medals at the Asian Games. And since 2010, Indian women have won two gold medals.
Since then, it has been a part of every Asian Games league. Kabaddi at the Asian Games is a men’s only game before the women’s event also comes in 2010.
Origin of Kabaddi
India is the country where we chant “kabaddi kabaddi kabaddi..” and the big physical and mental stamina as far as this sport comes. Since its birth, Indian kabaddi has been successful in passing down the game for generations and making the world a more accepting place for the sport.
The fact that Indian kabaddi is the most popular globally has a long history. Hanuman Vyayam Prasarak Mandal from Amravati, Maharashtra, plays Kabaddi at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, getting global views.
The sport was first played at the 1938 Indian National Games in Kolkata. The All India Kabaddi Federation was formed in 1950 and made a set of easy game rules. In 1973, the Indian Amateur Kabaddi Federation (AKFI) was formed.
The first men’s national league was done in Chennai after the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India was formed. While the first women’s national league was held in Kolkata in 1955. The rules have a new form thanks to the AKFI, which also has the power to change them. The Asian Kabaddi Federation (AKF) was formed with Mr Janardan Singh Gehlot serving as its chairman.
The success of the Pro Kabaddi League
The debut of the league, such as the Pro-Kabaddi league this year in the run-up to the Asian Games 2014, gave Indian Kabaddi players a lot of exposure. Rakesh Kumar, the captain of the Indian national Kabaddi team, says that the league has more player roles, a huge part of the game.
The Pro-Kabaddi League also sees to the game’s global promotion. It helps the Indian team’s players to play against other big kabaddi players from around the globe. Indian Kabaddi is, without a doubt, the most successful and huge team in the world. This list shows how much the team has won in the world Kabaddi leagues.
India’s successful Kabaddi stint
Since 1980, India has won 7 titles in the Asian Kabbadi League. Here are the details of India’s success in the game.
1980 – Calcutta, India
In the first edition, India beat Bangladesh in the final to win the title.
1988 – Jaipur, India
It was India and Bangladesh’s second regular victory after the league came back after eight years.
1990s
Kabaddi was first played as a league (non-exhibition) sport at the Asian Games. In both the 1990 and 1994 Asian Games gold medal games, India beat Bangladesh. In the 1993 South Asian Games gold medal game, Pakistan beat India. The team beat Pakistan to win the gold medal at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.
2000s
At the Busan Asian Games in 2002, India beat Bangladesh to win the gold medal.
India beat Iran 55–27 to win the first Kabaddi World Cup in 2004. Three years later, they won the feat once more by beating Iran 29–19. India beat Pakistan 35–23 to win their 5th gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games.
2010s
India showed its presence and won gold at the Asian Games in 2010 and 2014, too. India beat Iran by a score of 38-29 in the final when the Kabaddi World Cup was put back in 2016 after a 9-year break.
Ajay Thakur, an Indian raider, took his team to a 36-22 victory over Pakistan in the Asian Kabaddi League final in 2017.
India defeated Iran 44–26 to win the 2018 Dubai Kabaddi Masters League.
India had its first-ever loss in the Asian Games in the group stages of the 2018 edition, falling to South Korea 23–24. They still moved to the semifinals despite the defeat, but Iran won to take home the gold after beating India 27–18.
Under the direction of Deepak Niwas Hooda, India won the gold medal at the 2019 South Asian Games by defeating Sri Lanka in the final match, 51-18. While raider Naveen Kumar Goyat won a Super 10.
2020s
Since Covid-19 began in December 2019, the Indian team has not played in any events.
India beat Iran 42–32 to win the 2023 Asian Kabaddi title.
