Kabaddi Masters Dubai: Asian heavyweights India, Iran top respective groups to enter semis with 100% win record

Dubai: Asian heavyweights India and Iran lived up to the expectations by topping their respective groups in the Kabaddi Masters Dubai on Tuesday. Displaying aggressive tackle and a resolute defence that saw them register two all-outs, World Champions India routed African giants Kenya 50-15 to finish their group A campaign with four wins from as many matches. In the first match of the evening at the Al Wasl Sports Complex, Argentina were once again no match to Iran but the football-obsessed nation ensured that they put up their best show and went down 57-27 to the World Cup runners-up. [caption id=“attachment_4603901” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] World Champions India won by 35-point margin. Agencies[/caption] For India, Pardeep Narwal made a fine comeback top-scoring with nine with his incisive raids, while substitutes Rahul Chaudhari (8) and Deepak Hooda (5) made equal impact. In defence, Surender Nada held his ground with four tackle points as India led 29-5 at half-time. Obiero Victor was Kenya’s most impressive player with eight raid points and also executed a super raid that gave them a chance of enforcing an all out. But time finally ran out and India thwarted Kenya’s challenge of enforcing an all out. Earlier India coach Srinivas Reddy made a few changes to test his bench strength ahead of the semi-final on 29 June. He gave a much-deserved rest to Deepak Hooda and Rohit Kumar, giving a chance to Narwal while Surender Nada also returned at left corner. Narwal began with a bonus point raid as India raced to a three-point lead before a solid ankle hold from Nada halted the big man David Mosambayi. Kenya were represented by identical twins Esau Otieno and Elphas Otieno. Saeid Ghaffari and Kazem Naseri scored seven points each in Iran’s dominating show, while Argentina, who started poorly, got into the groove with Manuel Pasqual’s six raid points but those were not enough. Having scored 24 (Iran), 16 (Korea) in their previous two losses, it was their best score of the six-nation meet, even as they suffered an elimination.