Our defence requires improvement before Asian Games: Pawan Sehrawat

Bellary: Without devaluing their recent triumph, Indian kabaddi team captain Pawan Sehrawat said their defence requires a lot of improvement heading into the Asian Games.

Pawan has recently led the team to the title win at the Asian Kabaddi Championships, a much-needed boost ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games in September-October this year.

"I still believe we have to work a lot on improving our defence as a team because I was not completely satisfied with some of our performance at the Asian Championships," he said.

"The Asian Games are going to be more challenging so we need to refocus and put in maximum effort during the upcoming camp so that we can dominate our opponents at the competition.

"Nonetheless, we will make sure we devise a game plan for each team at the tournament, we will approach each game after a lot of preparation and complete concentration."

The Asian Kabaddi Championships which was held in Busan, South Korea, saw Pawan return to competitive action for the first time since an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury sustained in the opening stages of the 2022 Pro Kabaddi League.

"I was making sure I was giving clear instructions to the new players part of the squad, especially the new raiders like Aslam Inamdar and Arjun Deshwal.

"As a captain, I always look to exploit the opponent's weaknesses to clinch victory. So, for every player we had devised distinct game plans to help them optimise and maximise their effectiveness in the game," said Pawan.

Fondly known as 'Hi-Flyer' for his incredible raiding ability, Pawan returned after an eight-month injury lay-off.

"My objective was to return from the injury stronger than ever. All my coaches were very supportive and formulated a training plan for me that helped improve my performance and technique while making sure I do not overexert and injure myself," he said.

"I did my rehab with JSW Sports at the Inspire Institute of Sport, and the trainer there helped me identify my weak points and guided me to work on improving them which allowed me to put in dominant performances at the championships on my return."

Pawan was instrumental in the recent triumph as he led from the front with a super 10 raid in a high-octane final against Iran that ended 42-32 in favour of India.

He spoke about his personal experience of the final and how he approached it.

"I do not let any pressure faze me, I made sure I was laser-focused on the game. Whether it's a national tournament or an international tournament, I always have a clear game plan for myself," he said.

"I improvise and adapt my game plan according to the coach's directives which helps me push myself and help my teammates whenever it's needed during the match.

"I will always look to lead from the front and I have an aggressive approach to each game. I have a very strong fighting spirit so I will make sure I stand up for my teammates and myself no matter the situation."