Pushpa Rana says India women’s kabaddi will defend Asian Games gold at Aichi-Nagoya 2026

Captain Pushpa Rana said India’s women’s kabaddi team is preparing to defend their title at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the tournament’s kabaddi competition beginning on September 21. Rana and Arjuna awardee Pooja Kajla said the responsibility of defending India’s gold is a source of motivation rather than pressure.

Rana has been named captain of a 12-member squad that has been preparing by analysing opponents and addressing areas identified by the coaching staff. India enter Aichi-Nagoya as the reigning Asian Games champions, having beaten Chinese Taipei 26-25 in the Hangzhou final, and the women’s team also won the World Cup in November last year. India has won 11 Asian Games gold medals in kabaddi, including three in the women’s event.

“First of all, we practice according to the situation. We also analyse the videos of the upcoming matches. Our coaches also tell us about the shortcomings of the past and what needs to be improved. And now we are working on that. I think our team is well prepared,” said Rana.

Rana described expectation as motivation and noted the value of senior players’ guidance as she takes on her first captaincy assignment after previously serving as vice-captain. “Yes, I feel that motivation. When our seniors have already done a good job, they have made their own history, so it is upto us to maintain that momentum. So, we see it as motivation; we don’t see it as pressure. We are also working hard to maintain that momentum,” she said.

“I rely a lot on the seniors because they are already captains like Ritu Negi and Sonali Shingate. So, their advice is very important to me,” said Rana.

“First of all, it is very important to win gold at the Asian Games. Along 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 sport. So, if we bring gold, then small children get inspired by us and they will also ask their parents to let them play,” said Pooja Kajla.

Kajla credited the team’s preparation at the strength and conditioning camp organised jointly by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and Mashal Sports for improving recovery and performance habits. “They gave us a few more classes on sleep and recovery. So, I got to learn a lot from there,” she said.

The kabaddi contest at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games begins on September 21, with India’s women facing Bangladesh in their opening Group A fixture; they will then play Iran on September 23 and Japan on September 24, with semi-finals on September 25 and the gold medal match on September 26.

India 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