India vs Iran Kabaddi: Controversy breaks out in final match, netizens react

Asian Games 2023: India defeated Iran to win gold at the Asian Games 2023 in men's kabaddi. However, a controversy halted the game for about an hour.

India won gold in the recently concluded men’s kabaddi final at the Asian Games 2023 after defeating Iran. However, it was a match marred with controversy as the game was halted for about an hour after the teams staged protests regarding a particular rule of the game. Though the game resumed and India went on to win, it didn’t deter netizens from taking to X to share their opinions. While some praised the Indian players for taking a stand, a few argued that the confusion was created due to “bad umpiring”.

A controversy erupted during the final kabaddi match at Asian Games 2023 that was played between India and Iran. (Screengrab)

Here’s how X users reacted to the controversy:

What started it all?

With a minute remaining in the game, India’s Pawan Sehrawat went for a do-or-die raid. He went out of bounds and didn’t make any contact with the Iranian defenders during the raid. At this moment, the Iranian deferends tried to push Sehrawat out but confusion erupted which made it unclear if they managed to tackle the Indian player or not.

At first, the Iranian team was awarded a point but the decision met with a protest from the Indian team. After review, the umpires ruled in favour of India but this time, the Iranian team protested. In the meantime, E Bhaskaran, India’s coach, questioned that if the new rule was applied, then why did the referee change the decision after India’s review?

What are the rules?

“If a defender or defenders who has/have touched the ground outside the boundary, hold a raider, the raider will be declared NOT OUT. The defender or defenders who have gone out of bounds only will be declared out,” says IKF rule.

The PKL rule states, “ If a raider steps into the lobby, then the raid ends there and the raider is eliminated. One point awarded to the defending team unless one of their defenders also goes off the mat.”

What happened next?

After much deliberation, the judges ruled in favour of Iran and at this point, the Indian team stopped playing and went on to sit on the mat. The drama continued with the Iranian team protesting the umpire’s next decision. This chaotic situation also led to a temporary suspension of the game for about an hour. However, in the end, the ruling came in favour of India and the game resumed. Ultimately, the Indian team defeated the Iranian team to secure a gold medal in Asian Games 2023.