New Delhi, :Indian men’s kabaddi team will enter the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a blend of experience, established stars and a new generation of players, but captain Sunil Kumar believes the biggest advantage is the amount of preparation the team has already put in.
The 27-year-old right defender, who was part of India’s gold-medal winning campaign at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, has been entrusted with leading a squad that includes four players from that title-winning team — Sunil himself, Arjun Deshwal, Aslam Inamdar and Pawan Sehrawat. The 12-member squad also features established Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) leaders such as Ashu Malik, Jaideep Dahiya, DevankDalal and Rahul Sethpal, alongside younger players including Ayan Lohchab.
Sunil mentions that Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Kabaddi federation started the team’s camp six to eight months in advance, giving the players enough time to develop combinations, settle tactical plans and work individually on their strengths.
“The preparation has been very good because our federation and SAI started our camp six to eight months ago. We have planned the team combination and strategy well,” Sunil told SAI Media. “We first practised at SAI Bengaluru, then went to Bellary for training, and now our camp is at SAI Gandhinagar.” That extended preparation has allowed the team to approach the Asian Games in Japan with greater clarity about roles and combinations rather than trying to build them at the last moment. The squad also has a strong concentration of leadership experience: eight of the 12 players are current captains or vice-captains of their respective PKL teams for Season 12.
India’s kabaddi campaign in Aichi-Nagoya will aim to ride a successful Asian Games history. India won the men’s gold at Hangzhou 2022, and Sunil was part of that side. The current squad retains several players who experienced that campaign. Arjun Deshwal, Aslam Inamdar and Pawan Sehrawat join Sunil as members of the previous Asian Games gold-medal winning group.
“Our senior players gave the team a different identity and brought so many gold medals for India. We want to maintain that legacy, add another gold medal to India’s tally and follow the path that our legends have created,” Sunil continued. He added the team has worked on its overall structure including tactical planning, combinations, fitness and individual skill development. “You cannot win just by one person’s effort. This time, our raiding and defence departments are both quite strong. To a large extent, we have the top players in kabaddi in our team, whether you look at the raiders or the defenders,” he said. “We have done all the preparation. We have worked on our strategy, team combination, fitness and individual skills. Now we have to execute all of that properly when the competition comes. The effort of one player will not be enough. Everyone has to contribute. Our raiders, defenders and all-rounders have to work together as one team,” Sunil told SAI Media. Sunil’s role will be particularly important in organising India’s defensive unit and maintaining communication during high-pressure phases of matches. His experience of playing alongside many of the team’s established raiders also gives him familiarity with how the side operates as a unit. “We want to maintain the identity that our seniors created for Indian kabaddi, work together as a team and give everything when we give it all at the Asian Games,” Sunil added. The kabaddi competition at Aichi-Nagoya will be held at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium in Tokai City, Aichi Prefecture, with the men’s and women’s finals scheduled for September 26. Their campaign starts September 21.
