Mumbai: Almost in unison, they leapt into each other’s arms in celebration. The Asian Games is the biggest title there is to win in kabaddi. And the Indian women’s team had won the gold medal for the fourth time since the sport had been added to the roster in 2010.
For all of India’s legacy in the sport though, this was not an easy match. But India, with their experience, overcame an Iranian team 37-34 in a match that went down right to the wire.
There was a lot at stake going into this match. In the early days of kabaddi in the Asian Games, it was almost taken for granted that the gold medal was assured. That all changed at the 2018 edition when Iran won the final 27-24.
India retook the crown in Hangzhou by beating a spirited Chinese Taipei 26-25.
In many ways, it wasn’t just a gold at stake, it was bragging rights in a sport where it has been two teams that have really been the ones pushing each other to greater heights.
They competed just like that on Saturday, in a topsy-turvey encounter that remained gripping throughout.
At one stage India led 21-12, but Iran refused to go away. The defence remained sturdy and picked off Indian raiders almost at will. Then came the forays in the raiding department.
Then there came that one astonishing raid by left-corner defender Atena Madadi, who picked up touch points on the only two Indian players left on the mat to inflict an all-out.
Suddenly, India were now leading by just one point, 27-26.
That was perhaps the cue for the Indians to employ a new strategy – patience.
When there were moments where the raiders would go deep into the Iranian half to get touch points, they started to make a few empty raids to drop the tempo of the game. When the defenders would charge into tackles rashly, they stayed patient and looked for moments to lunge at the raider.
Meanwhile, an urgency rang through the Iranian line, and with it, errors.
As the match clock wound down, India had a three-point lead. But they protected it with composure.