The Railway Minister met coach Neeta Moreswar Dadve and five Railways-employed players at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi, three weeks after India beat Iran 37-34 in the final.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw met members of India’s Asian Games gold-winning women’s kabaddi team at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday, 16 October, and praised them for the title they retained in Japan last month.
Vaishnaw said the players had brought honour to the national flag through their dedication, determination and outstanding performance, according to information released by the Ministry of Railways. He congratulated the women athletes employed by Indian Railways on their golden achievement and commended them for making the country proud.
The meeting brought together the members of the gold-winning set-up who work for Indian Railways, spread across three zones.
Dadve led the team as head coach, with Pushpa Rana as captain. Rana was not among those listed by the ministry as attending Friday’s meeting, which was focused on the players and staff on the Railways’ rolls.
The presence of the coach alongside five players underlined how much of the national women’s programme runs through the Railways system. Three of the six people at the meeting, including the head coach, belong to a single zone in South Central Railway.
India won gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, by beating Iran 37-34 in the final on Saturday, 26 September. The ministry described the final as thrilling, and the three-point margin reflects how tight the contest was against the side India met for the title.
The win meant India successfully retained their Asian Games crown in women’s kabaddi, defending the title rather than winning it for the first time.
Friday’s event came three weeks after that final and adds the Railways to the list of institutions publicly recognising the squad since its return from Japan.
The ministry used the occasion to highlight the role of Indian Railways in Indian sport. It said the organisation has long supported and encouraged sporting talent through its Railway Sports Promotion Board.
According to the ministry, Railways athletes have represented India at major international competitions, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Indian Railways provides athletes with employment, opportunities to pursue their sporting careers and institutional support.
The ministry said these initiatives contribute to the development of sporting talent in the country and help prepare athletes to deliver stronger performances at the international level.
For kabaddi in particular, the employment route matters. A government job gives players the security to keep training and competing, and the women honoured on Friday were recognised both as national champions and as Railways employees whose results reflect on the organisation that employs them.
The gold in Aichi-Nagoya was the headline achievement, but the meeting at Rail Bhavan made clear that the Railways sees itself as a key part of the structure behind it, from the head coach in the dugout to the raiders and defenders on the mat.
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