Bellary, March 27 – The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) will begin a high-performance strength and conditioning camp at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), Bellary, bringing together the country's leading men's and women's kabaddi athletes for the 2026 Asian Games.
The camp, scheduled from March 27 to April 2, marks a significant step in strengthening India's kabaddi ecosystem, with a focused approach towards athlete development, fitness optimization, and long-term performance excellence.
Several prominent Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) stars – Naveen Kumar, Arjun Deshwal, Pawan Sehrawat, Aslam Inamdar, Sunil Kumar, Ashu Malik, and Bharat Hooda – are participating in the camp, reflecting the league's strong talent pool.
From the women's contingent, leading athletes include members of the Indian squad that won the Women's Kabaddi World Cup, such as captain Ritu Negi, as well as Sonali Vishnu Shingate, Pushpa Rana, Champa Thakur, Pinki Roy, Priya, and Karthika R, reflecting a strong mix of experienced international players and emerging talent from across the domestic circuit.
This initiative reinforces Mashal Sports and AKFI's shared commitment to the holistic development and well-being of kabaddi athletes, while continuing to build a strong pipeline of talent for India ahead of major international competitions, including the Asian Games.
Vibhor Vineet Jain, President, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), said, "This initiative is an important step in our preparations as we continue to raise the standard of kabaddi in India. By collaborating with Mashal Sports, we are ensuring that our players benefit from modern training methodologies, scientific support systems, and a professional high-performance environment that is essential for success at the international level."
Anupam Goswami, PKL League Commissioner and Business Head of Mashal Sports, said, "In the year of the Asian Games, we take pride in collaborating with the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India to organize a strength and conditioning camp for the senior men's and senior women's probable kabaddi athletes for the Asian Games, which will be held in Japan later this year.
"Since we are working with 45 probable athletes in each group, the benefits of this camp will extend to many more athletes beyond the final Indian kabaddi squads for the Asian Games."
The camp will be hosted at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), Bellary; a world-class high-performance training facility offering cutting-edge infrastructure and a multidisciplinary sports science ecosystem to prepare athletes for elite international competition, with specialized programs tailored to the contact-driven demands of kabaddi.