The
Indian men's kabaddi team began their campaign at the Asian Kabaddi
Championship 2023 with two convincing victories over Korea and Chinese Taipei.
India defeated Korea 76-13 in their opening match on Tuesday, before beating
Chinese Taipei 53-19 in their second match on Wednesday.
The
Indian team was led by a strong performance from their defense, which
restricted Korea to just 13 points in the first match. Surjeet Singh and Nitesh
Kumar were particularly impressive in defense, while Nitin Rawal and Naveen
Kumar were the top scorers for India with 12 points each.
In
the second match, India once again dominated from start to finish, with their
offense scoring 53 points against Chinese Taipei's 19. Rahul Chaudhari was the
top scorer for India with 13 points, while Parvesh Bhainswal and Sachin Tanwar
scored 10 points each.
With
two wins from two matches, India are in pole position to top the group and
qualify for the final. They will next face Japan on Thursday, followed by Iran
on Friday.
The
Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 is being held in Busan, Republic of Korea, from
June 27 to 30. The tournament features six teams: India, Iran, Korea, Japan,
Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong. The top two teams at the end of the league stage
will advance to the final.
India
are the defending champions of the Asian Kabaddi Championship, having won the
title in 2017. They are also the most successful team in the history of the
tournament, having won seven titles in eight editions.
In
the first match against Korea, India scored a super raid in the first minute of
the match, with Naveen Kumar running through the Korean defense to score five
points. India never looked back after that, and they led by 17 points at the
end of the first half. The Indian defense was particularly impressive in the
first half, restricting Korea to just two points in the first four minutes of
the match.
In the second match against Chinese Taipei, India once again scored a super raid in the first minute of the match, with Rahul Chaudhari running through the Chinese Taipei defense to score five points. India led by 10 points at the end of the first half, and they extended their lead in the second half. The Indian offense was very efficient in the second match, scoring 33 points in the second half.
The
two victories have put India in a strong position to top the group and qualify
for the final. They will face Japan and Iran in their next two matches, and
they will be expected to win both matches. If India can win their remaining two
matches, they will be the favorites to win the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023.
In
addition to the two victories, India also had a number of individual standout
performers. Naveen Kumar was the top scorer for India in both matches, with 12
points against Korea and 13 points against Chinese Taipei. Rahul Chaudhari also
had a good tournament, scoring 13 points against Chinese Taipei. The Indian
defense was also impressive, with Surjeet Singh and Nitesh Kumar leading the
way.
Overall,
India have had a very good start to the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023. They
have won their first two matches convincingly, and they are in pole position to
top the group and qualify for the final. If India can continue their good form,
they will be the favorites to win the title.
