The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) has announced a cash reward of ₹2,00,000 each for every player and coach of the Indian contingent that clinched double gold at the 3rd Asian Youth Games 2025 in Manama, Bahrain.
The announcement, following India’s clean sweep in both the boys’ and girls’ U-18 categories, marks a defining moment for youth sport policy and institutional reform within Indian kabaddi. The financial commitment totals ₹64 lakh, covering 28 players and 4 coaches, with each recipient receiving equal compensation a structural shift that symbolizes parity, transparency, and recognition across roles. Beyond rewarding achievement, the policy underscores a larger ambition: rebuilding AKFI’s credibility through fair governance and athlete-first administration following years of institutional turbulence.
India’s Double Gold: A Statement of Continental Dominance
At the 3rd Asian Youth Games, returning after a 12-year hiatus, India’s Kabaddi teams reaffirmed their supremacy on the continental stage. The U-18 Girls’ team was nothing short of dominant defeating Iran 75–21 in the final after sweeping through the group stage with massive victories over Bangladesh (46–18), Thailand (70–23), and Sri Lanka (73–10).
The U-18 Boys’ team, meanwhile, displayed resilience in a closely contested final against Iran, winning 35–32. Their performance highlighted both India’s sustained strength and the tightening competition from rivals such as Iran and Pakistan, indicating the need for continued tactical innovation and high-performance coaching at the youth level. With these victories, India’s kabaddi contingent delivered early momentum to the nation’s medal tally in Manama, propelling the country’s push toward double-digit medals within the first few days of competition.
Reward Policy: Financial Recognition and Coaching Parity
The AKFI’s cash reward scheme, formally titled “Cash Prize Announcement IKC 3YAG2025,” represents a calibrated move to integrate financial incentives into the federation’s youth development model. By awarding equal compensation to both players and coaches ₹2 lakh each AKFI has corrected a long-standing imbalance that undervalued the contribution of coaching staff in youth sport. A comparative look underscores the change in approach. After the Indian women’s team’s gold at the 6th Senior Women’s Asian Championship in Tehran (2025), players received ₹2 lakh each, while coaches received only ₹1 lakh. The new 1:1 parity ratio signifies a recognition that sustainable success in kabaddi depends as much on tactical leadership as athletic performance.
This move, combined with the involvement of elite figures such as Arjuna Awardees Deepak Hooda and Mamatha Poojari in the youth coaching setup, signals a deliberate effort to professionalize India’s kabaddi ecosystem from the ground up.
The timing of this reward announcement is crucial. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court of India mandated that the AKFI transition from administrative control under Justice S.P. Garg back to a newly elected governing body. The court’s directive emphasized transparency, depoliticization, and a renewed focus on athlete welfare. The swift acknowledgment of the youth gold medalists accompanied by formal documentation and timely financial disbursal is among the first visible policy actions under AKFI President Vibhor Vineet Jain’s leadership. It reflects compliance with the court’s instructions and a decisive break from the federation’s past controversies, which included allegations of opaque selection trials and delayed payments.
By promptly recognizing the youth teams and publicly disclosing reward details, AKFI has sent a clear message: administrative stability and athlete trust are once again priorities.
A Stronger Financial Framework for Youth Athletes
The ₹2 lakh reward operates within a wider ecosystem of financial support designed to nurture young talent. Many of these athletes also benefit from programs like the ONGC Sports Scholarship Scheme 2025–26, which provides monthly stipends of ₹15,000–₹30,000 and insurance coverage for emerging athletes from lower-income backgrounds.
Together, these mechanisms create a more stable financial base for promising kabaddi players, reducing dropout rates caused by economic constraints. This dual-layered model performance-based bonuses combined with continuous scholarships is positioning kabaddi as one of India’s most secure and structured youth sporting disciplines.
India’s dominance at the 3rd Asian Youth Games is not an isolated success. It is the product of a systematic grassroots framework linking the Khelo India Youth Games, state-level academies, and the National U-18 Championships with AKFI’s national camps. The 3AYG contingent was drawn from a wide range of states including Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Odisha, and Rajasthan demonstrating that India’s kabaddi base is expanding far beyond its traditional strongholds. This diversification ensures depth in the national talent pool and paves the way for a seamless transition to senior-level competition.
Several members of the victorious girls’ team, who displayed remarkable technical maturity and composure, are already on the radar for inclusion in senior development camps ahead of the 2026 Asian Games.
The AKFI’s move is not just about rewarding victory it is about signaling a structural shift toward integrity and accountability. To sustain this progress, the federation is expected to formalize the 1:1 reward parity policy, ensuring consistent recognition for both players and coaches at all youth and senior international events. Additionally, periodic financial disclosures and a 30-day reward disbursal timeline could further reinforce transparency. Establishing a performance-tracking system for youth medalists will also be key to assessing the long-term impact of financial incentives on athlete progression.
India’s double gold at the Asian Youth Games represents more than continental success it reflects a sport in transformation. With a fair and transparent reward system, administrative reforms, and a structured developmental pathway, kabaddi is strengthening its foundation ahead of a crucial Olympic and Asian Games cycle. The AKFI’s ₹2 lakh reward is thus both symbolic and strategic a tangible expression of trust in young athletes and the first decisive step toward a new era of professional governance and equitable recognition in Indian kabaddi.
