Japanese kabaddi players at Asian Games inspired by manga — Dawn

Japan's men's kabaddi team defeated South Korea 62:35 at the home Asian Games in Nagoya. Most of the team's players combine the sport with regular jobs, while captain Tetsuro Abe links many athletes' entry into kabaddi to the Japanese manga Burning Kabaddi.

As Dawn reports, Abe believes that probably more than 80% of Japanese players became interested in the sport because of the comic. According to him, kabaddi players are not paid for competing, and he himself received special permission from his employer to come to the competition.

Amateur team

Kabaddi is a team contact sport played by two teams of seven athletes on a court similar in size to a badminton court. The game combines elements of tag, wrestling and rugby, but has no ball. An attacking player must touch an opponent on the other half of the court and return, saying “kabaddi” to confirm that they have not taken more than one breath.

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Japan previously lost to India 24:49, but won the first East Asian Men's Kabaddi Championship in 2025. The Japanese men's greatest achievement at the Asian Games was a bronze medal won in Guangzhou in 2010.

Schoolchildren's interest

Several hundred schoolchildren attended the match against South Korea. A group of 40 children received free tickets through schools near the arena, and their mentor, Kumpei Tanaka, said that two weeks before the match he introduced students to kabaddi rules using YouTube videos.

This week, Prince Hisahito, nephew of Emperor Naruhito, attended the kabaddi competition. The Japan Kabaddi Federation was established in 1981, and national and regional tournaments have been held in the country annually since 1989. Abe noted that the game requires no special equipment, and the team aims to make the sport better known and attract sponsors.