Naveen Kumar and Surjeet Singh omitted from India’s 12-man men’s kabaddi squad for Asian Games 2026
On August 25, 2026, India’s selectors finalised a 12-member men’s kabaddi squad for the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with experienced players Naveen Kumar and Surjeet Singh omitted from the list.
India enter the Asian Games as the most successful nation in men’s kabaddi, having won eight gold medals and one bronze medal; they were denied gold only once when Iran beat them in the semi-final of the 2018 Asian Games and then defeated South Korea in the final. India reclaimed the title at the 2022 Asian Games by defeating Iran in the final, and the 2026 squad has been assembled to defend that gold against strong rivals, with the source describing Iran as the most balanced team.
Selectors described their choice as a strong 12-member squad, but several notable names from the 2022 gold-winning side were left out; Naveen Kumar and Surjeet Singh were two of the omissions from the final roster.
Naveen Kumar, regarded in the article as one of the best raiders in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League, was not retained by the selectors. The piece cites his struggles with several injuries over the past few years, frequent absences from major events and a deterioration in form, and notes that the six raiders chosen for the squad were in better form than Naveen, with high competition for places exacerbating his omission.
Surjeet Singh is described as one of India’s most experienced defenders and as having played a major role for Dabang Delhi when they won Pro Kabaddi League Season 12, yet he was not included in the national squad. The article reports that the management opted for only two covers in the 12-man group, sought to accommodate additional raiders and selected no backup players for the cover position, a combination that left no place for Surjeet despite the view that he deserved selection.
The kabaddi tournament at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to start on September 21 and run until September 26 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, where the selected 12-man Indian squad will compete for the title India won at the previous Games.