Busan: India reclaimed the Asian Kabaddi Championship title after beating Iran 42-32 in the final here at the Dong-Eui Institute of Technology Seokdang Cultural Center on Friday.
India won their eighth title in the last nine tournaments played so far, whereas Iran won the title once, in 2003.
India trailed Iran in the first five minutes of the game. However, a couple of tackle points by the defenders and successful raids from Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar handed Iran their first All-Out of the match in the 10th minute.
India kept putting more pressure on Iranians, which led to another All-Out. By the end of the first half, India was ahead 23-11 in the final period.
All-rounder Mohammadreza Chiyaneh tried to make a comeback for the Iranian side in the second half with a two-point raid followed by a super raid that helped inflict the first All-Out on India in the 29th minute.
Both teams were giving it their all in this high-stakes game, but India pulled out a 42-32 win.
India beat Hong Kong 64–20 earlier in the day to finish the league stage of the tournament undefeated.
In the league stage, India won all five matches and topped the points table. Iran finished in second place, losing to India in the semi-finals.
From September 23rd to October 8th, the Asian Games will be held in Hangzhou, China, providing the Indian kabaddi teams with their next major challenge. Iran, who beat India in the semifinals in Jakarta in 2018, will be the defending champions at the continental multi-sport showpiece.—Inputs from Agencies