India lost 27-24 against Iran in Women’s Kabaddi Final. (Source AP)
After India Men’s Kabaddi team went down 27-24 in the semifinal against Iran on Thursday, India Women’s team suffered another big upset in Kabaddi on Friday as they lost 27-24 in the final match and had to settle for a silver medal. India started off brilliantly, taking a lead of 5 points, 13-8 at one stage in the first half. But Iran defence held their nerves and took three points in the final few minutes of the first half to close the gap to 13-11.
In the second half, Iran’s defence continued to trouble India and did not give leave any space for them get a point. After a nervy final minute, in which Sakshi Kumari earned a super raid to get three points for India, the two-time Asian Games Champions brought the score to one-point difference. But Iran held their nerve to take three more points before the final raid to script another historic win and getting the top medal finish.
It is for the first time in history that India have not been able to win an Asiad gold in Kabaddi, with the Men’s team winning the bronze medal and the women’s team settling for silver.
India’s silver medal win took India’s total medal wins to 24 in the Asian Games 2018. Earlier, the team of Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharam won the gold medal in Men’s Doubles Tennis, while Heena Sidhu won the silver medal in Women’s 10m air pistol. In Rowing, India won three medals – one gold in Quadruple Sculls event, and a bronze each in Lightweight Single Sculls and Men’s Double Sculls.