Road to Japan runs through Nepal

Bangladesh national women’s kabaddi team will launch a crucial five-match bilateral test series against Nepal on Friday, targeting both redemption on home soil and a vital performance boost ahead of the upcoming Asian Games.

The high-stakes series, scheduled to run at the National Kabaddi Stadium in Dhaka, serves as the final phase of preparation for the Ichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan this September.

Zaima Rahman, daughter of the Prime Minister, will attend the opening match as the guest of honour, with the action scheduled to get underway at 3pm.

The Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation formally announced the details of the series on Thursday during a press conference and trophy unveiling ceremony held at the Dutch-Bangla Auditorium of the Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) building, where a 14-member squad captained by Shraboni Mallik was also unveiled.

Following Friday’s opener, the subsequent matches will take place on 18, 20, 21, and 23 July.

Kabaddi was historically one of Bangladesh’s most successful disciplines at the Asian Games.

Regular podium finishes had been a feature since the 1980s, but the men’s team lost their momentum in 2010, followed by the women’s team in 2018.

Despite repeated vows to reclaim their lost glory, a medal has remained elusive.

Even for the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, where the women’s team underwent long-term training at India’s Rao Academy under an Indian coach, the investment failed to pay off, culminating in a bitter defeat to Nepal that cost them a medal.

The rivalry has heavily leaned in Nepal’s favour recently.

Bangladesh suffered a 3-2 series defeat during their tour of Nepal last year and endured narrow, agonising losses to the same opponents at the 2019 South Asian Games and the latest Beach Games.

However, after undergoing a gruelling and rigorous training camp, the Bangladeshi players are highly motivated to correct past mistakes, exploit home-court advantage, and exact sporting revenge.

“The Asian Games in Japan are coming up this September,” said SM Newaz Sohag, general secretary of the Kabaddi Federation. “Facing a formidable opponent like Nepal in this home series will serve as an excellent preparatory test for our girls. We previously played on their turf, and now they are here. Nepal has consistently beaten us to the medal by just one or two points in the past, making this series quite challenging. However, more than winning or losing, our primary focus here is assessing our own standards and preparation.”

Sohag also revealed that as part of the broader Asian Games buildup, the federation plans to send the women’s team to Thailand and arrange fixtures for the men’s team against Chinese Taipei.

Addressing media criticism regarding the composition of the touring squad, he added: “We requested Nepal to send a team. Whomever they have sent is their internal decision; for us, this will be treated strictly as the official Nepal national team.”

The federation’s leadership remains committed to restoring the sport’s baseline prominence in the country.

“Our objective is to ensure that our national sport, kabaddi, stands tall at both national and international levels,” said Brigadier General Syed Muhammad Motahar Hussain, Vice-President of the Federation and IGP of Prisons. “These five test matches amidst our Asian Games buildup will provide invaluable ‘game exposure’ and match experience for the squad.”

The federation’s structured roadmap also drew praise from top Olympic officials.

“I always advise other sports federations to emulate the Kabaddi Federation,” stated BOA secretary general Jobaidur Rahman Rana. “Their administration, planning, and vision are truly commendable. Even we at the Olympic Association have not yet had the confidence to host such an exceptional, preparation-focused press conference, which the Kabaddi Federation has successfully delivered.”

On the court, the players are viewing the fixture as the ultimate litmus test before heading to Japan.

“The core purpose of this friendly series is to prepare ourselves for the upcoming Asian Games,” Bangladesh captain Shraboni Mallik said. “The simple truth is that Nepal is a very good side, given that we lost to them in 2019 and during the last South Asian Games. We want to play against them, and no matter how these matches conclude, winning and losing are part of the game. But we will be playing to win. If we can secure a victory against them now, it will make us much more aggressive and confident for the main event in Japan.”