India’s successful defence of the men’s kabaddi gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games was filled with memorable moments, but few captured the spirit of perseverance quite like Aslam Inamdar’s journey.
The 24-year-old all-rounder from Maharashtra played a crucial role in India’s thrilling victory over Iran, yet his path to the top of Asian kabaddi began far from packed stadiums and international medals. It started with poverty, odd jobs and an unwavering belief that kabaddi could change his life.
The Raid That Changed the Final
One of the defining moments of the gold-medal match came midway through the second half. With India holding only a narrow lead, Inamdar launched an ambitious raid deep into Iran’s half. It was a move that even teammate Pawan Sehrawat admitted made him nervous.
“It was a bad decision,” Sehrawat later joked. But Inamdar’s gamble paid off. He escaped with two valuable touch points, extending India’s advantage at a crucial stage of the contest.
Looking back, Inamdar smiled when discussing the raid.
“It was a wrong move, but ant bhala toh sab bhala (if the end is good, it’s all worth it),” he said.
Asked whether he had been worried about the risk, his answer reflected the hardships that shaped him.
“I’ve gone through things you wouldn’t even imagine. This is nothing.”
A Childhood Defined by Survival
Long before becoming an international kabaddi player, Inamdar was simply trying to survive. Growing up in Takli Bhan in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district, he lost his father at a young age. His mother worked in other people’s homes, washing utensils and doing household chores to support the family, while his elder brother Waseem later joined the police and helped shoulder family responsibilities.
Money was scarce.
The family lived in a house without proper flooring or a solid roof, and there were times when even basic meals were difficult to arrange. From an early age, Inamdar took on any work he could find.
He collected discarded bottles to sell as scrap, worked at tea stalls and juice shops, cleaned toilets, washed utensils and laboured in agricultural fields.
“If there was work to be done, I did it,” he recalled.
Kabaddi Became His Lifeline
Despite the hardships, one thing never changed: his commitment to kabaddi. His elder brother was already respected in local kabaddi circles, while senior player Rahul Bhor became another important influence.
No matter how long he worked each day, Inamdar always found time to train.
Kabaddi required little equipment and offered opportunities through local tournaments. By the age of 14, he was travelling alone across Maharashtra to compete in junior competitions.
Often, he could not afford train tickets. He slept beneath train seats, survived on stale vada pav or leftover food from tournaments and sometimes carried scraps of food home in his bag for later.
Prize money of ₹200 to ₹500 per tournament was enough to buy meals and fund the next trip.
Setbacks Never Stopped Him
The road to success was far from smooth. In 2014, while India competed at the Asian Games, Inamdar watched the tournament from home while recovering from a fractured leg. At the time, representing India seemed like a distant dream.
“I was just watching kabaddi on TV,” he recalled. “But I believed my hard work would eventually pay off.”
He continued training and competing whenever opportunities arose.
Pro Kabaddi Changed Everything
A turning point came when Inamdar earned his first Pro Kabaddi League contract. His first salary of ₹8 lakh transformed his family’s circumstances.
“For me, eight lakh felt like eight crore,” he said.
One of his first purchases was a gold necklace for his mother, a gesture recognising the sacrifices she had made throughout his childhood.
The Pro Kabaddi League gave him financial stability, while his performances eventually earned him the captaincy of Puneri Paltan and a place in the Indian national team.
Second Asian Games Gold
After winning gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Inamdar added another title in Aichi-Nagoya as India once again defeated Iran in the final.
He acknowledged the quality of the Iranian team, describing them as India’s toughest opponents in Asian competition.
“Iran is generally our biggest challenge at the Asian Games,” he said. “Winning against such a strong team makes the gold even more special.”
Giving Back to the Next Generation
Today, Aslam Inamdar hopes his story inspires young athletes from disadvantaged backgrounds. At his training centre in Thane, he regularly speaks to aspiring kabaddi players about overcoming adversity through discipline and hard work.
“I want young, underprivileged players to dream big and achieve even more than I have,” he said.
“I want them to know that whatever happens, they should never stop working hard or believing in themselves.”
His second Asian Games gold medal represents far more than another international title. It stands as the latest milestone in a remarkable journey from poverty and daily struggle to becoming one of India’s leading kabaddi players.
