5 instances when Indian athletes stood out for their incredible acts of sportsmanship

#2 When India's women's kabaddi team stood out for values over competition

Indian women's Kabaddi team did not forget their ethics in the light of tough competition

Despite winning every Kabaddi World Cup and Asian Cup till date, there have been times when winning for India has taken a backseat and their incredible sportsmanship is what has made them even bigger champions.

One such instance was during the India vs Iran gold-medal match in the women’s kabaddi event final at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. The stakes were quite high, perhaps more so for India, who were eyeing their second Asian title but even in those nerve-wracking moments the Indian team showed winning is not everything.

During that clash, one of the Iranian raiders, accidentally had her ‘hijab’ displaced while a raid was on. She immediately froze because of the discomfort and could have easily been trapped by the defenders then. Instead, the Indians chose to help her cover her face and put the hijab back in place.

The gesture spoke a million words and warmed countless hearts. Indian skipper Tejaswini Bai, later admitted that it was natural for them to come to her rescue. India did eventually get the better of Iran and won with the scoreline reading 31-21.