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With the sights of achieving their first ever medal in Asian Games 2018, the Nepal Kabaddi Team is ready and prepared with utmost devotion towards the game. The team will be participating in Kabaddi sport of Asian Games since 1998 where the Kabaddi team had to leave the tournament in the middle because of some domestic technicalities. Back in 1998, the team managed to play 4 out of 6 scheduled games only.
With the surprise exclusion of veteran players like Sanjay Shrestha and Kalyan Bhujel, the 12-member Nepali Kabaddi team is prepared for the upcoming event. The bronze medallists of the 11th South Asian Games, the Nepali squad has plethora of experience and youth. Nageshwor Tharu, Bijay Chand, Lal Mohar Yadav and the team's captain, Mahesh Bohara play for the Tribhuvan Army Club.
They started training in Kanchanpur of Mahendranagar and also played 4 practice matches in New Delhi. The All Nepal Kabaddi Association (ANKA) invited some reserve players from India during their training session in order to boost their performances.
The team departed for a training series against Bihar in Patna, India. The three matches held at Patlipura Sports Complex, Patna was between Bihar and the Nepali Kabaddi Team. The Nepali team reigned supreme and won the third match, which was a knockout match after both teams gained victory against each other.
In the third encounter, Bihar had a lead of 5 points after the first half. In spite of Bihar's weak defense, the team had managed to put pressure on the Nepali Kabaddi team. However, with the likes of Mahesh Bohara, Bijay Chand, Lal Mohar Yadav, and Ashok Thapa, the team showed good raiding skills on the mat with 8 bonus points.
They kept the defense struggling and at the end, the score read (34-29), where Nepal emerged as the victor. The team gained 4 points of the all-outs. After the series ended, the Bihar Kabaddi Association's Kumar Vijay and chairperson Jagnath Singh congratulated the team. They wished the team good luck as the team arrived in Kathmandu. The Nepali Kabaddi Team was a silver medallist during the International Invitational Men's Kabaddi Tournament held at Kathmandu, Nepal back in 2017 with India as the gold medallists.
"The training has been good so far. The team is better than what it was before," said Tara Singh Bhat, the head coach of Nepali Kabaddi Team. "If the people of Nepal support well, Kabaddi can do good in Nepal," he added.
The All Nepal Kabaddi Association (ANKA) organized a farewell programme on 15th August 2018 before their departure to Indonesia for the 18th Asian Games. The association congratulated the team for a remarkable training campaign and wished them a successful outing in the tournament. For the Nepali Kabaddi Team, it is not just about winning a medal in the Asiad. The aim of turning people's adoration towards the game of Kabaddi with immense enthusiasm is still a dream to be achieved.
