The India vs Iran men’s kabaddi final ended in controversy as a rule change led to the suspension of the match. With the scores tied at 28-28, India had a do-or-die raid, and captain Pawan faced immense pressure. Pawan was dashed out by Iran, but he claimed that he went out of the inner lobby without any touch. This meant that India should have received points because Iran’s defenders also went out with him. However, an hour-long drama ensued as officials struggled to come to a conclusion regarding the allocation of points.
During the discussions, Iran would protest when points were awarded to India, and vice versa. The main point of contention was which rule should be applied – the old rule or the new rule. The confusion arose when Pawan entered the outer lobby without making contact with any defenders, and the Iranian defenders followed him out. The question was whether India should receive points for all defenders going out or if Iran should get a point for Pawan being out.
The debate revolved around which rule should be applied in this situation. According to the old rule, India would receive four or five points, while the new rule would grant one point to each team as one Iranian defender went out of the line (self-out). India argued that the old rule should apply since the new rule was not applicable in the Asian Games. In fact, the new rule was only utilized in Season 9 of the Pro Kabaddi league and would need approval from the International and Asian Kabaddi Federations to be implemented in the Asian Games.
Ultimately, the officials awarded four points to India in accordance with the old rule. As a result, India secured a 33-29 victory over defending champions Iran, reclaiming the gold medal.
Topics mentioned in this article include India, Iran, and men’s kabaddi final.