AHMEDABAD: India's surprising loss to South Korea on the opening night of the Kabaddi World Cup (KWC) sent shivers down the spine of the Iranian team. That loss relegated the hosts to second spot in the points tally which meant Iran could face them in the semi-final. However, an 'injured' Iranian team was defeated by first-timers Poland. That loss avoided an India-Iran encounter in the last-four stage. But, if Iran thought avoiding India would ensure their safe passage into their third World Cup final, they might be wrong.
Standing between them and the final spot, is the most successful side of the tournament — South Korea. While both title contenders India and Iran have lost a match each, the Koreans have remained invincible. On paper, Iran might be the better side, but Korea's performance during this meet makes them worthy contenders.
Not many would have rated the Koreans so highly at the start of the tournament, but the Asian nation shocked the hosts and their sea of fans on the opening night.
It's their team-work, superb coordination between defenders and super raids in dying minutes that has taken them into their maiden semi-final spot of KWC. It's no wonder then that none of the Koreans feature in the top five raiders or defenders.
Korean skipper
Dong Ju Hong
said his team is oozing with confidence ahead of the game and is undeterred about the threat Iran may pose on Friday. "It feels good to be in semi-final. We are well prepared to take on any team in the tournament," the skipper said.
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