Kabaddi Team Aiming High in Asian Games

Iran has come out of the shadows to be one of the most dominant forces in the game of kabaddi.

The country astonished many kabaddi fans around the world when it ended runner-up in the Dubai Kabaddi Masters 2018, Sportskeeda reported.

Here is an analysis of how things are shaping for Iran which aims at winning the first gold medal in the Asian Games 2018.

Iran has produced some magical raiders who have pushed the limits of what is called a stable level of raiding. With wrestling and mixed martial arts in their blood, these raiders are graceful, deeply enriched with modern raiding techniques.

It will be Mohammad Esmaeil Maqsoudloo who will be leading the raiding unit. He played a crucial role for Iran in Kabaddi World Cup 2016, Asian Kabaddi Championship 2017 and Dubai Kabaddi Masters 2018.

Maqsoudlu and Emad Sedaqatnia will be their first priority when it comes to do or die raids.

 Tough Defense

If India is known to produce the majority of sharp-minded raiders, Iran is known to produce best defenders who can crush big names through their tackles.

The corner duo of Fazel Atrachali and Abouzar Mighani in the left corner and right corner respectively together caught a lot of eyeballs during their impressive run in Pro Kabaddi Season 5 in India.

Having wrestling background in the past, both of them gained a record 122 tackle points, the best by any corner duo so far in a single season with their swift timing and flexible reflexes.

Mohammad Malak and Saeid Ghaffari, both are known to play in the left cover position who can execute waist holds and double knee holds.

For the right cover, an obvious all-rounder will be set to play for Iran. Fans may also view an innovative approach in the mat if the coaching team considers Hadi Oshtorak in the right cover.

Nonetheless, Iran has a plethora of defenders and opposition will definitely have a difficult time considering how much depth they have in their defensive line up.

Given the job to wear the captain’s hat, Amir-Hossein Maleki did a fantastic job as a leader in the left corner in the Dubai Kabaddi Masters 2018.

 Stealing the Spotlight

Mohammad Nabibaksh was indeed the spotlight stealer at the Dubai event. Whether it be scoring a 3 pointer in the very first raid versus Pakistan or dashing Ajay Thakur out of the court versus India, Nabibaksh has got all the moves an all-rounder needs to have. He will definitely be an important player in the lineup.

Hamid Mizraei is a notable right cover to the team who has a strong command over body tackles whereas Mohammad Qorbani can also be lethal to the mix of raid and defense play.

Some new faces are expected to arrive at the scene when Iran will also receive the services from Meisam Abbasi and Mohammad-Reza Shadloo.

The Iranians have proven their dominance in the sport of kabaddi since their arrival in 2004. With two silver medals in their grasp, they will look to defeat big match players and possibly gain their first gold medal. Fans should expect high from Iran kabaddi team in the upcoming Asian Games slated for August 18-September 2 in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.