Asian Games: ‘We Don’t Chase Gold, We Defend It,’ Says Kabaddi Skipper Sunil Kumar

Asian Games: ‘We don’t chase gold, we defend it,’ says kabaddi skipper Sunil Kumar (Asian Games: ‘We don’t chase gold, we defend it,’ says kabaddi skipper Sunil Kumar)

Nagoya Asian Games: India’s kabaddi team is putting the finishing touches to its preparations for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with captain Sunil Kumar confident that the squad is ready to handle the expectations that come with representing the country.

The Indian team is currently in camp at the SAI campus in Gandhinagar under the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), having already completed a key strength-and-conditioning phase at the IIS centre in Bellary.

Sunil, who holds the record for the most wins by a captain in Pro Kabaddi League history with 87 victories across Gujarat Giants, Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba, said wearing the captain’s armband has added responsibility but not pressure.

“Representing India is a matter of pride, not just for me but for everyone who has helped me get here; my teachers, my family, my elder brother. This time I’ve also become captain, so the responsibility is bigger. But when a team has prepared the way we have, you don’t feel that pressure. You just feel ready,” Sunil said.

The Bellary camp, organised by AKFI and the promoters of Pro Kabaddi League, focused on addressing individual weaknesses, improving fitness and getting the squad’s nutrition right.

“The better a player’s fitness, the better he performs on the mat. At the IIS Bellary, we identified our weaknesses, worked on them individually, and got our nutrition right. That groundwork has made a real difference,” he said.

Sunil also credited the Pro Kabaddi League with providing Indian players valuable exposure to high-pressure competition and international opponents.

“PKL has given our players a platform they never had before. Playing 2-3 months of league every year, against foreign raiders and defenders, in pressure situations, that experience carries straight into the international arena. It’s why this team walks in confident, not anxious.”

Sunil himself led Jaipur Pink Panthers to the PKL title in Season 9 in 2022, one of the defining moments of his league career.

At the Asian Games, however, India will once again face the weight of expectation, with gold traditionally being the benchmark for the country’s kabaddi campaign.

“In Kabaddi, there’s no such thing as a bronze or silver being enough, as the demand is always gold. There’s a bit of pressure that comes with that, because so many great players have worn this jersey before us. But we take confidence from our seniors and legends who have delivered gold, and we back ourselves to walk the same path.”

Iran remains the major threat in Sunil’s assessment, with the two sides having produced closely fought contests in recent editions of the Asian Games.

“Over the last three Asian Games, Iran has been our toughest rival. We won by two points in 2014, lost in 2018, and won by four points in 2023. It would mean a lot to beat them again, and to do it with a strong margin.”

Iran remains the major threat in Sunil’s assessment, with the two sides having produced closely fought contests in recent editions of the Asian Games.

Sunil Kumar (captain), Pawan Sehrawat, Ankit Jaglan, Aslam Inamdar, Ashu Malik, Ayan Lohchab, Devank Dalal, Arjun Deshwal, Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Gaurav Khatri, Sumit Sangwan.

Article Source: IANS