INCHEON: The Indian women's kabaddi team notched up its second successive gold medal at the Asian Games, beating Iran 31-21 in the summit clash here today. Indian men's team edged Iran in a nerve-racking final to win its seventh consecutive kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games here Friday.
India thus maintained their supremacy in women's kabaddi, which made its Asiad debut in the previous edition in Guangzhou. In today's match, the women were slow off the blocks but clawed back with utmost ease showing just why they are considered the powerhouse of the sport.
Against the very determined Iranian women's team, India led the first half 15-11 before completely dominating the second half to seal the issue.
The Indians managed get the entire opposition declared out twice in the match, which gave them four 'lona' points -- a feat that Iran failed to do even once.
In the end, India were too strong and technically sound for the Iranians to beat despite their determination. Nonetheless, it was an improvement for Iran on the podium as they had won a bronze in the previous edition.
The Indian men's team, who have won every single gold since men's kabaddi was introduced in 1990 in Beijing, trailed Iran for the majority of the match but came back strongly to win 27-25 at the Songdo Global University Gymnasium.
A brilliant second half, at the beginning of which they trailed Iran by eight points, saw the Indians outscore their opponents 14-4 to edge them by just two points to clinch gold.