Iran women’s kabaddi team six-day training stint in Sonepat; India’s deep talent pool
Iran women’s kabaddi team taps into India’s depth ahead of Asian Games 2026
Iran women’s kabaddi team taps into India’s depth ahead of Asian Games 2026
Iran’s six-day training stint in Sonepat provided valuable match practice for their revamped squad while giving India’s emerging players exposure to international opposition.
Iran’s women’s kabaddi team has turned to India’s deeper competitive ecosystem as part of its preparations for the Asian Games 2026 , with a six-day training stint in Sonepat also offering India’s emerging players a valuable test against international opposition.
The Iranian squad arrived at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Sonepat centre on August 13 and played a series of practice matches against the Indian women’s kabaddi team and local sides ahead of the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
Iran women have won four medals in kabaddi at the Asian Games - gold at Jakarta 2018. a silver medal at Incheon 2014, and a bronze each from Guangzhou 2010 and Hangzhou 2023 .
For Iran head coach Gholamreza Mazandarani, however, the camp assumes added importance with the majority of his squad having changed since the previous Asian Games.
“For us, it is a very good chance to play friendly matches, improve the players and improve our team tactics. We want to show a better team in the Asian Games,” Mazandarani told SAI Media.
“It has been a good experience for our team because our team is very young now and we have changed maybe more than 80 per cent of the team from the last Asian Games.”
The practice matches also offered India’s younger players an opportunity to experience Iran’s contrasting style, physicality and tactics.
India women’s coach Naveen Kumar said several of his junior players benefited from facing an Iranian squad that also included athletes with experience of three Asian Games.
“Most of our new players are at the junior level and they got an opportunity to learn a lot from playing against the Iranian team,” Naveen told SAI Media.
“They got to understand how Iran plays and it also gave us an idea of how our young squad needs to prepare for the future.”
Naveen particularly highlighted the physical qualities of the Iranian players as an area from which his youngsters could learn.
“Their fitness, strength and explosive power are very good and our young players can learn a lot from them,” he said. “The dedication and energy with which these players compete is also something our youngsters can learn from. Overall, it was a very useful experience for our team.”
India’s kabaddi depth stands out for Iran
Beyond preparation for the Asian Games, the camp highlighted what Mazandarani considers one of the biggest differences between kabaddi in the two countries: the sheer volume of players and competitive opportunities available in India.
The Iranian coach estimated that his country has around 3,000 to 4,000 male and female kabaddi players, compared to what he believes is a vastly larger playing base in India.
“One kabaddi player in India, whether teenager, junior or senior, maybe has more than 50-60 matches in a year. This is a big point for them. They can improve their skills during the matches,” Mazandarani said.
Iran player Zahra Karimi, on her third visit to India, echoed that assessment. She said the greater number of players, teams and domestic competitions gave Indian kabaddi players opportunities that are harder to replicate in Iran.
“One of the biggest differences between Iran and India is that we don’t have so many players in Iran and we can’t compete with different players,” Karimi said.
“India can play with different players and different teams. India also has national games in their own country, which is very good for them, but we don’t have that.”
For Mazandarani, that depth also makes India a natural destination for teams and players looking to develop their game.
“I think the base of kabaddi is in India. Every coach and every player who wants to improve and come to the top level needs to come to India,” he said.
The Iranian coach hopes exchanges such as the Sonepat camp can eventually extend beyond short preparatory visits, with longer training periods providing teams with more opportunities to work on tactics and compete against different opponents.
“Maybe in the long term, two or three months, we can continue, make strategy with the Iran team, improve the players and play friendly matches with local teams and the best players,” Mazandarani said.
“This can improve kabaddi in every corner of the world.”
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