Goyat certain India will continue winning tradition in Asian Games

Haryana Steelers’ new recruit Monu Goyat has had plenty of reason to cheer in the recent past. After becoming the highest paid non-cricketing sportsman in India, he went on to make his India debut at Kabaddi Masters Dubai 2018, where he impressed with his quick raids and ability to score under pressure.

In the coming days, though, the Indian team will be fighting to get home another big prize, an eighth gold in the Asian Games. The competition will be intense, particularly with the rise of many international kabaddi stars thanks to VIVO Pro Kabaddi. But Goyat is a hundred per cent confident that India can make it eight in a row.

“We want to continue the tradition and our aim is to bag the gold medal,” Goyat told the Press Trust of India. “We cannot think anything other than that.”

Goyat picked Pakistan, Korea and Bangladesh as some of the main competitors in the field of kabaddi but was confident that a well-balanced Indian team with plenty of good raiders and international quality in defence would be able to surmount any obstacle that comes their way.

The mighty Iran, who have risen through the ranks of kabaddi at a breakneck pace thanks to their tremendous physical strength and keen eye for the game, have learned a lot by observing the Indian players according to Goyat; something that has now made them one of the India’s closest rivals in the sport.

“Iranian players stay and practice with Indian players and their preparation is just like our players,” Goyat said. “Hence they have been able to give us tough competition.”

In parting, Goyat hoped that the Indian fans rally behind the team in the upcoming Games and lauded the #RaidForGold initiative by Mashal Sports Pvt. Ltd., which is helping make this possible.

“I was happy when I heard about the campaign and wish people support it and also support the team,” Goyat signed off.

Fans can pledge their support for the Indian kabaddi team at raidforgold.in