Japanese kabaddi team aims for Asian Games medal inspired by manga comic
Japan's amateur kabaddi squad played against South Korea at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Thursday.
Amateur players seek home glory
The team consists of teachers and food workers who took time off their jobs to compete. They defeated South Korea with a score of 62-35 to keep medal hopes alive. A few hundred school children shouted support for the men at the Nagoya gymnasium.
Manga comic drives interest
Captain Tetsuro Abe stated that more than 80 percent of players started their journey through a manga called Burning Kabaddi. The sport combines elements of tag, wrestling and rugby without using a ball. Japan previously won bronze in the men's category at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.
Sport gains local attention
A successful showing at these home games could increase viewership for the contact sport. Kabaddi requires specific breath control while raiders enter enemy territory to tag opponents. The chant kabaddi kabaddi proves players are not taking more than one puff of air.
All 2 outlets report consistently
No differences in figures, names or dates across these reports.
- Express Tribune
- Dawn
Reported by
2 independent outlets. Headlines as published. Links open the original report.