It is the first time that a Bengali, Payel Chowdhury will be captaining the Indian Women’s Kabaddi team in the Asian Games 2018
We all know about the Indian Kabaddi teams’ dominance in the Asian games. It’s like a fairytale. No other Asian country is at par with the Indian team. The Men’s Kabaddi was introduced in the Asian Games in the year 1990. Since then the men’s team has won gold in all 7 Asian Games. The Women’s Kabaddi was introduced much later in 2010. But from then, in 2010 and 2014, the Indian Women’s Kabaddi team won gold both times. No other team than India has won gold in Kabaddi both in the men’s and women’s sections, at the Asian Games.
This is the winning streak of the Indian Women’s Kabaddi team. Hope this winning streak continues this time too and there seems no reason why it won’t. The women’s team has been practising in Haryana for the last 3 weeks. The team’s captain, Payel Chowdhury also said that there’s no reason why they won’t win gold this time too. The whole team is confident that they will win gold for India again.
Payel Chowdhury has also made her mark in the Beach Kabadi. In 2014 she won gold with the Indian Team. But unfortunately, she couldn’t break through with the Asian Games team. This time she has not only made it to the Asian Games team but also has been appointed as the captain. She has captained India previously 3 times. But captaining India in the Asian Games is an achievement to cherish for the rest of her life.
Payel’s biggest motivator is her husband Prasanta Karmakar. Prasanta Karmakar is not an ordinary man either. He represented India in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. He won bronze in the para-swimming competition. Prasanta Karmakar has also received the Arjuna award in 2011.
Payel Chowdhury is a resident of Chandannagar, West Bengal. But she plays for the Railways. Though she often comes to Chandannagar and practises with her coaches. She had to wait till 2016 to break through into the standard Kabaddi team. She represented India for the 1st time in the SAFF Games. They won gold in the SAFF Games. In 2017, she also won gold in the Asian Kabaddi Championship held in Iran.
Indian Women’s Kabaddi team full squad for the Jakarta Asian Games 2018 :
- Payel Chowdhury (C)
- Sayali Sanjay Keripale
- Sakshi Kumari
- Kavita
- Priyanka
- Manpreet Kaur
- Ritu Negi
- Sonali Vishnu Shingate
- Randeep Kaur Khehra
- Shalini Pathak
- Usha Rani Narasimhaiah
- Madhu
The whole of India will be supporting this team. We all want this dream winning streak to continue forever. Hope they win gold once again and make us all proud as a nation. All the best for the Asian Games 2018.
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