The Indian women's kabaddi team once again demonstrated brilliant results at the Asian Games, bringing pride to the entire country. Present for a special interview with us were Pushpa, captain of the Indian kabaddi team, and star raider Pooja.
These two champions shared their journey, covering both their performances on the sports field and the personal difficulties they faced.
The Indian women's cricket team once again demonstrated its dominance at the continental level, securing its second consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games. On Tuesday, in the final, the team crushed long-time rivals Sri Lanka with a score of 147 runs.
The gold medal, won by the team under Harmanpreet Kaur's leadership, was India's first of the current tournament. The victory was secured by a brilliant batting performance that forced Sri Lanka to chase a record target of 217 runs.
Smriti Mandhana played brilliantly, scoring 79 runs off 45 balls, while Richa Ghosh added powerful late-over hits, taking India's score to 216 for three wickets. This set a new record for the Asian Games.
After reaching this record total, the outcome of the match became clear. All hopes for Sri Lanka rested on captain Chamari Atapattu (29 runs off 21 balls), but she could not counter the Indians. Sri Lanka capitulated, scoring only 69 runs across all overs, which took 15.4 overs, as the Indian spinners completely controlled the game against them.
Shafali Verma showed versatile play, scoring 48 runs and taking 2.3 wickets, while Dipti Sharma (3 wickets for 6 balls) and Shri Charani (2 wickets) traditionally helped the team in the final, which was not an even contest.
India was considered the clear favorite for the title and lived up to expectations, securing three confident victories throughout the competition. Similar to the Asia Cup earlier this month, Sri Lanka found itself in the losing position in the final, unable to compete with their familiar rivals.
Pakistan won the bronze medal by defeating Bangladesh with a comfortable margin of 31 runs earlier that day. Since the scenario for the Indian women's team unfolded according to plan, it was expected that the men's team would also defend its title.
The team maximized the advantages of powerplay after winning the draw. Mandhana (79 runs off 45 balls) and Shafali (48 runs off 29 balls) took the team to 59 without loss in six overs. Both batters are in excellent form since the Asia Cup, making a significant contribution to the team's success in the decisive final by building a partnership of 99 runs off 60 balls. Sri Lanka's weak bowling allowed these batters to dictate the terms of the game, with both being extremely effective against the spinners.
The Indian women's team demonstrated outstanding results at the Asian Games, bringing honor to the country. The start of this major sporting event was exceptionally successful for Indian female athletes.
In particular, the Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, achieved a convincing victory over Bangladesh by a margin of 114 runs, thereby securing their place in the final. Now the Indian team will face Sri Lanka for the gold medal on September 22.
The Indian women's cricket team maintained its dominant status by winning its eighth Asian Championship title at the Asia Cup. However, despite this victory, the team under Harmanpreet Kaur did not attend the awards ceremony and celebrated the triumph without the trophy.
Consequently, a new question arose among fans regarding Mohsin Naqvi, President of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC): if the Indian cricket team wins a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, will Naqvi be present on stage to present the medal?
The Indian women's team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, defeated Sri Lanka in the 2026 Asia Cup. More attention from the public was drawn not to the sporting contest itself, but to the trophy presentation ceremony. Fans actively discussed this topic on social media.
After the victory, the Indian team directly refused to accept the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, returning without it. The team's head coach, Amol Majumdar, supported this decision, stating that the team's main focus is now on the Asian Games.
If India wins a gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, the probability of Mohsin Naqvi presenting the medals is extremely low. The reason lies in the regulations of the Asian Games. These competitions are held in accordance with the rules of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The right to present medals belongs exclusively to designated officials of the OCA and representatives of the local organizing committee. Unlike cricket tournaments, one council head does not have the authority to distribute medals independently here.
Previously, at the 2022/2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China, both the men's and women's Indian cricket teams won gold medals. At that time, the medals were also presented according to official protocol.
Now, India is preparing to contend for gold again at the upcoming games, which will take place in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The match for the Indian women's cricket team for the gold medal is scheduled for September 22nd at 10:30 AM, and the men's team will begin its campaign on September 28th.
