Sanya, April 24 -- Iran beat defending champion Pakistan 38-28 in the men's beach kabaddi Group A opener at the 6th Asian Beach Games, sending an early signal of its gold medal ambitions.
"I would like to thank everyone who supports us. This victory is for all the Iranian people who stand behind us," said Iran captain Mohammad Malak after the match on Thursday.
"It was a very tough and close match. The weather was hot, but we delivered a strong and impressive performance. We are ready to fight for the gold medal."Iran and Pakistan are widely regarded as the leading contenders in the men's competition. Iran won the third and fourth editions of the Games by beating Pakistan in the finals, while Pakistan claimed gold at the 2016 Da Nang Game...