We Will Fight for the Title in Riyadh; India Is Not the Only Rival of Iran's Women's Kabaddi

Mahrokh Danesh in an interview with Mehr;

We Will Fight for the Title in Riyadh; India Is Not the Only Rival of Iran's Women's Kabaddi

Mahrokh Danesh, in an interview with Mehr's reporter, about holding the third stage of this team's preparation camp for attending the Asian Indoor Games hosted by Riyadh, stated: The third stage of the camp begins today in Kashan, and 16 players have been invited to this stage. Four players among the invitees attended the Nagoya Games, two of whom are raiders and two are defenders.

She added: The players' average age is low, and about 80 percent of them are experiencing presence in international arenas for the first time. Given the limited opportunity we had, we tried to select players who are in better condition in terms of physical fitness, technical and tactical ability, and playing experience.

The head coach of the women's national kabaddi team, referring to this team's presence in indoor competitions, said: It has been a long time since the women's national kabaddi team participated in such events. About a year and a half to two years ago we were supposed to take part in competitions in Thailand, but those competitions were cancelled. Before that, too, we had not been present at the Indoor Games for a long time. We hope that if no problem arises, we can participate in these competitions after a long time.

Danesh, about Iran's opponents in these Games becoming known, stated: The draw has not yet been held and we do not have precise information about the participating teams. The draw will probably be held after the end of this camp or in the days close to the competitions, and we will know our opponents.

In response to a question about the probability of India's presence in these Games, she said: I think India will certainly be present in the competitions, since it is one of the prominent kabaddi teams, and I doubt it would withdraw from these competitions.

The head coach of the women's national kabaddi team, regarding a possible confrontation with India and Iran's chance of winning the title, stated: We will do our utmost to get the best result, but we are not thinking only of India and must take all teams seriously. Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Korea are also among the teams striving to win medals and stand on the podium. The Iran team is also strong, and we have selected the best players so that we can get a good result if we face India in the final.

Danesh explained about the number of players to be dispatched to the competitions: Of the 16 players present in the camp, seven will be selected for the five-a-side indoor competitions, of whom five are on the court and two are substitutes. We have two more camp stages ahead, and, God willing, after the fifth camp the final list of dispatched players will be announced.

Continuing about the national team's goal-setting for these competitions, she said: Iran's players have high potential in terms of physical fitness and technical abilities, and I do not see the title as out of reach. All my effort and the players' effort is to reach the title — the goal for which we are fighting.

Danesh, in closing and in response to a question about the performance of the women's kabaddi team at the Nagoya Games and the reason for her absence from the dispatched technical staff, stated: The selection of the technical staff depended on Mr. Mazandarani's opinion. I do not know exactly what decision was made, but I respect his opinion.

Fariba Jalil Khani