Indian women’s kabaddi team captain Pushpa Rana opens up on defending the Asian Games gold medal, while Pooja Kajla makes big statement ahead of the 2026 Games.
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Indian Women’s Kabaddi captain Pushpa Rana eyes GOLD at Asian Games 2026.
The Indian women’s kabaddi team is ready to take on the challenge of defending its gold medal at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian GamesCaptain Pushpa Rana and experienced raider Pooja Kajla believe the team has prepared well and is looking to finish at the top once again.
Rana has been given the responsibility of leading the 12-member squadThe captain said the team has worked on different match situations, studied opponents and focused on the areas highlighted by the coaching staff.
Pushpa Rana confident about India’s preparation
Rana explained that the team has been using match videos and training sessions to understand what needs to improve before the Asian Games.
“First of all, we practice according to the situationWe also analyse the videos of the upcoming matchesOur coaches also tell us about the shortcomings of the past and what needs to be improvedAnd now we are working on thatI think our team is well prepared,” said Rana.
India have a strong record in Asian Games kabaddi, having won 11 gold medals overall, including three in the women’s eventThe women’s team will now look to defend the title it won in Hangzhou after beating Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a thrilling final.
Gold Medal is motivation, not pressure
India also won the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup last November, adding to the confidence around the squadRana believes the success of the previous generation gives the current team extra motivation.
“Yes, I feel that motivationWhen our seniors have already done a good job, they have made their own history, so it is upto us to maintain that momentumSo, we see it as motivation, we don’t see it as pressureWe are also working hard to maintain that momentum,” she said.
Rana will captain India for the first time but has already served as vice-captainShe said the experience of senior players Ritu Negi and Sonali Shingate will be important during the tournament.
“I rely a lot on the seniors because they are already captains like Ritu Negi and Sonali ShingateSo, their advice is very important to me,” said Rana.
She also pointed to Chinese Taipei as one of the teams India will need to watch closely after their narrow defeat in the previous Asian Games final.
Pooja Kajla wants to inspire young girls
Kajla feels another Asian Games gold could have an impact beyond the kabaddi matThe Arjuna awardee wants the team’s success to encourage more young girls to take up sports.
“First of all, it is very important to win gold at the Asian GamesAlong with that, as we talk about the girls of the cricket World Cup, there are also juniors who are very inspired by the success of Indian women in sportSo, if we bring gold, then small children get inspired by us and they will also ask their parents to let them play,” said Kajla.
Kajla also praised the team’s strength and conditioning camp, organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) along with Mashal SportsShe said the sessions helped players understand the importance of recovery and sleep.
“They gave us a few more classes on sleep and recoverySo, I got to learn a lot from there,” she said.
India’s Kabaddi schedule at Asian Games
The women’s kabaddi competition will start on September 21India will open its Group A campaign against Bangladesh before facing Iran on September 23 and Japan on September 24.
The semi-finals are scheduled for September 25, while the gold medal match will be played on September 26.
Indian Women’s Kabaddi team for 2026 Asian Games:
Pushpa Rana (captain), Ritu Negi, Sonali Shingate, Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Raj Rani, Nikita Kumari
