Kabaddi Star Ritu Negi Makes Big Olympics Demand After India's Asian Games Gold
For India, the kabaddi teams brought home two gold medals from the Asian Games 2026
For India, the kabaddi teams brought home two gold medals from the Asian Games 2026. The Indian women's team entered the final as defending champions and faced a strong challenge from Iran before eventually securing a 37-34 win. Veteran Indian kabaddi player Ritu Negi spoke to NDTV after the victory and dedicated the women's kabaddi team's Asian Games gold medal to her countrymen. "In 2022 at Hangzhou, we faced Chinese Taipei, and this time we had Iran. We had already played a match against Iran in the pool stage. Any team in the final is a strong opponent. But we were confident," she said.
Negi also hopes that kabaddi will be added to the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics.
"Kabaddi should be added to the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. Also, I think that, like the men's team players, we should have that type of league. We also bring gold medals from international events. If we have a professional league, then we will be able to flourish more," she said.
Negi, an Arjuna Awardee and former India captain, was part of the Indian team that held its nerve against a determined Iranian side to clinch India's third gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
"I dedicate this medal to my countrymen. I dedicate this medal to their support, love, family members, and coaches because we are here due to their support, cooperation, love, and blessings," Negi said.
With the match entering its decisive stages, Iran continued to search for points and threatened to close the gap. However, India's defence produced a crucial tackle on Aynaz with a minute remaining, helping the team preserve its advantage and seal the gold medal.
Speaking about the significance of retaining the title, Negi said the team felt a responsibility to defend the gold medal won at the previous Asian Games.
"We needed the gold medal. More than that, we had won the gold medal last time as well. So, it was our responsibility to retain it," she said.
The gold medal marked India's successful defence of the women's kabaddi title won at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Sanju Devi was among India's standout performers throughout the tournament and once again contributed to the team's effort in the final.