India’s men’s kabaddi team is preparing for another major challenge at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan, with the squad targeting a record ninth Asian Games gold medal. The team has completed intensive preparation camps across Bengaluru, IIS Bellary and the Sports Authority of India Centre in Gandhinagar. Vice-captain Pawan Sehrawat believes mutual trust and a shared goal have helped the squad build strong unity despite several new faces.
The India kabaddi Asian Games 2026 campaign will feature a squad with eight players making their Asian Games debut. Only four members of the current team were part of India’s gold medal winning squad at the Hangzhou Asian Games. Sehrawat believes the time spent together during training has helped the new group develop quickly.
Pawan Sehrawat Backs Team Unity
Pawan Sehrawat’s Asian Games campaign will be closely followed as the star raider takes on the responsibility of vice-captain. Sehrawat said the team has trained extensively together and that all 12 players have developed trust in one another.
For Sehrawat, the single objective of winning gold has helped bring the squad together. He believes the common target has created a strong bond between experienced players and Asian Games debutants.
India will also enter the tournament with significant expectations from supporters. Sehrawat believes those expectations should be viewed as motivation rather than pressure. He said the demand for gold is an honour for Indian kabaddi players and can help the team perform with greater confidence.
India Kabaddi Training in Japan and Preparations
The India kabaddi training Japan preparations have been built around conditioning, tactical work and detailed analysis of opponents. The coaching staff has focused on improving the team’s ability to deal with difficult situations, particularly after tight encounters against Iran.
Head coach Balwan Singh has returned to lead the team, with B.C. Ramesh serving as assistant coach. The coaching setup has also added video analyst Tejas DP, who has been studying opponent tendencies and identifying areas where India can improve.
This analytical approach is expected to help the players understand opposition patterns before they step onto the mat. It also gives the coaching staff more information when planning defensive and attacking strategies for each match.
India Men’s Kabaddi Squad for Asian Games 2026
Sunil Kumar will captain the Indian team, with Pawan Sehrawat serving as his deputy. The raiding department includes Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, Ayan Lohchab and Devank Dalal.
Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar are the two all rounders, while Sunil Kumar, Sumit Sangwan, Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Gaurav Khatri and Ankit Jaglan form the defensive group.
Road to Asian Games Gold
The kabaddi competition will take place at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center. The group stage is scheduled from September 21 to 24, followed by the semi-finals on September 25.
The gold and bronze medal matches will take place on September 26. With a mixture of experienced players and debutants, India’s challenge will be to maintain its established standards while building on the unity that Sehrawat believes has developed during the preparation camps.
