Pushpa Rana, Bhawna Thakur, Jyoti credit team unity for Asian Games gold

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Himachal kabaddi players accorded warm welcome in Dharamshala; Rana seeks jobs for sportspersons

Dharamshala, September 28

Indian women’s kabaddi team captain Pushpa Rana and players Bhawna Thakur and Jyoti were given a grand welcome in Dharamshala on Monday after returning with the gold medal from the Asian Games.

The three players credited their success to hard work, team unity, coaching staff and family support. They said the Asian Games was an important platform and they had trained hard in morning and evening sessions for a long time.

Rana said the journey to the Asian Games had not been easy and the team had worked for a long time to achieve the feat. She said competitions in other countries also brought weather-related challenges, but international experience had helped the team deal with such conditions.

She also credited team unity and the guidance of the coaches for the success.

Rana said kabaddi was performing consistently at the international level and the sport was gaining recognition on the international stage after the Pro-Kabaddi League.

She also sought employment for sportspersons from the Himachal Pradesh Government, saying the players were now reaching the age of 29 and had been waiting for jobs for a long time. She said the players had earlier met the Chief Minister and were assured that their demand would be considered.

Bhawna Thakur expressed happiness over winning a gold medal for India in her first Asian Games. She said she had travelled with the aim of performing well and winning gold.

Having played against the opponents earlier, Bhawna said she did not feel afraid of them.

She credited her coaches, teammates, Sports Authority of India (SAI), AKFI, family and the Himachal kabaddi association for her success. She said her parents had encouraged and supported her when she started playing kabaddi.

She said coming from a village and winning a gold medal for India at the international level was a proud moment for her.