Asian Games 2026: Indian men retain kabaddi title
The Indian men's and women's kabaddi teams both secured gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya by defeating Iran. This victory marks a return to dominance for the Indian teams following a period of mixed results in previous editions.
Why it matters
Kabaddi is a significant cultural sport in South Asia, and these results reflect the ongoing competitive rivalry between India and Iran in the discipline.
India completed a golden double in kabaddi at the Asian Games as both the men’s and women’s teams defended their respective titles with thrilling victories over Iran in the finals in Nagoya on Saturday (September 26, 2026).
The Indian men overcame Iran 40-34 in a closely fought final to retain their gold medal, following the women’s team’s 37-34 victory over the same opponents earlier in the day.
The men’s final was a tense affair, with the scores tied at 20-20 at one stage before India managed to gain the upper hand and secure another gold.
The Indian men had won seven successive gold medals before their dominance was halted at the 2018 Jakarta Games, where Iran emerged champions and India finished fourth. India bounced back at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, reclaiming the title.
It was India’s overall ninth gold medal in kabaddi at the Asian Games.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in