Indian women's kabaddi player Pinki Roy opened up on her challenging 18-year journey filled with injuries and setbacks after helping the team secure a gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 by defeating Iran in a thrilling final.
India's women's kabaddi player Pinki Roy reflected on her challenging journey marked by injuries and setbacks after helping the team retain the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, saying, "My journey has been very tough".
Speaking to ANI after India's 37-34 victory over Iran in the women's kabaddi final on Saturday, Pinki recalled the struggles she faced before making her Asian Games debut with the national team. "I would like to say that in my 18 years, I am touring with India for the first time. So my excitement level is very high. I enjoyed every single match and every moment," Pinki told ANI.
A Tough Journey to Glory
Reflecting on her journey, Pinki said she faced several hurdles before making it to the Asian Games stage. "My journey has been very tough. I started in 2012, and then in 2013, I had knee surgery. After that, in 2016, I joined the Railways. In 2019, I was called up for the India camp, but in 2019, I had to undergo surgery again. After that, I made a comeback, and today in 2026, I am here at the Asian Games with a medal in my hand," she said.
Strategy for the Final
Pinki also explained the team's strategy for the final against Iran, saying India focused on avoiding the mistakes made during the pool matches. "We made a few mistakes in the pool matches, giving away two to three points at once. So our strategy for the final match was to concede at most one point at a time and not give away two or three points together, because our raiders were scoring continuously and getting bonus points," she said.
"Our target was to give away only one point if needed and cover from there. That’s exactly what happened—we didn't repeat those mistakes and avoided leaking multiple points at once," she added.
Praise for Opponents
Pinki praised Iran's performance in the final and said their improvement reflected their hard work. "They played really well. They recently played in the World Cup, where they lost by 12 points in the final, but today they lost by just 3 points. They have put in a lot of hard work on themselves, which is reflected in their results. They also defeated previous silver medallists Chinese Taipei to reach the final, which shows their hard work," she said.
Celebration Plans
Speaking about the celebrations, Pinki said the team would follow their traditional way of celebrating the victory. "Our tradition is to celebrate by dancing. We will go to our rooms and dance. But first, if the men's team also wins a medal, it will be even more fun if we all dance together," she said.
India defeated Iran 37-34 in the women's kabaddi final to retain their Asian Games gold medal. (ANI)
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