Back with vengeance

The Indian kabaddi teams have a lot to prove in Hangzhou. The country’s undefeated reign in both the men’s and women’s sections was ended by Iran five years ago. While the seven-time defending champion men’s team could not even reach the final after a 18-27 defeat to Iran in the semifinals, the women’s team was denied a third-straight title after a 24-27 loss to Iran in the final. Star raiders Naveen Kumar, Pawan Sehrawat (pic) and Arjun Deshwal will be key to India reclaiming their title. The team also includes seasoned defenders Parvesh Bhainswal, Vishal Bhardwaj and Sunil Kumar. The women’s team includes silver medallists from five years ago — Sakshi Kumari and Sonali Vishnu Shingate.