2023 was a really memorable yr for Indian sport. With a lot having occurred, ESPN India picks ten photos that inform the story of essentially the most beautiful moments we witnessed over the yr. Our seventh decide is the Asian Games Kabaddi closing between India and Iran.

An hour and two minutes. 22 minutes longer than an precise match of Kabaddi. That was how lengthy the Asian Games males’s closing between India and Iran was paused, with simply over a minute left on the match clock.

Why? Incredibly, as a result of the officers weren’t positive what the principles have been.

First, some context. It was an enormous recreation for India, particularly. After 2018, after they have been crushed by Iran within the semifinal of the Asian Games, within the lowest second for the game within the nation, they have been eager for revenge this time. They have been eager to set the document straight. After the one time after they did not win the Asian Games kabaddi gold, this was a grudge match for the Indians.

It could not have been any nearer. 28-28. 65 seconds to play. From an Indian perspective, they’d’ve not hoped for something higher than captain Pawan Sehrawat stepping as much as raid at that second.

And then, mayhem.

Pawan stepped into the foyer with out touching any defender – within the PKL, it will’ve been easy end result following a tweak to the principles in 2022. Pawan could be out. Iran would get a degree. We’d have gone on.

However, the umpires and the judges first awarded a degree every to both facet, as a result of Iranian defenders had adopted Pawan into the foyer as properly. That was not an accurate end result primarily based on both the brand new or the previous PKL guidelines (which is what the International Kabaddi Federation adopted).

India reviewed. The umpire got here again from evaluation and gave India three factors and Iran one. Then Iran protested. Their captain Fazel Atrachali spoke with the referee, all whereas coach Gholamreza Mazandarani saved his costs calm.

The Indian coach E. Bhaskaran was the alternative of calm. The officers reviewed the evaluation and despatched the choice Iran’s means. Bhaskaran requested his gamers to simply sit on the mat. After one other spherical of back-and-forth, the Iranians have been incensed, it was their flip to come back out and sit on the mat. The judges and referees had nowhere to go, and after just a few extra rounds of boisterous protests, they ultimately awarded three factors to India.

Iran ultimately performed the remaining minute and misplaced the ultimate by 4 factors. That closing minute ought to have by no means been performed beneath these circumstances.

This was presupposed to be a spectacle. The two greatest Kabaddi groups on the planet. Two groups who know one another so properly. At the very best stage, this was presupposed to be the very best commercial for it. Instead, it descended right into a farce.

Given the stakes, one understood each groups’ grievances. Losing wasn’t an choice that evening in Hangzhou. There was lot greater than only a win in a kabaddi match on supply.

India prevailed, however for the IKF, these 62 minutes have been a humiliation. Their personal officers, with little to no working data of their very own sport’s legal guidelines had proven them up after they have been the cynosure of all eyes. For a sport combating for extra recognition than it has, this wasn’t the type of recognition they’d’ve needed. 62 minutes of disgrace.