India stamped its supremacy as the kabaddi powerhouse of the continent, claiming gold in both men's and women's events at the Asian Games 2026. The golden double was completed after thrilling victories over arch-rivals Iran in the finals here on Saturday.
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 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 as champions and India finished fourth. India bounced back at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, reclaiming the title.
It was India's ninth gold medal overall in kabaddi at the Asian Games.
Earlier, the women's team held a 22-16 lead at half-time, but Iran fought back strongly in the second half, winning it 18-15. However, the Indian cushion proved sufficient as they held on for a thrilling victory.
The Iranian women, who had only one player from their previous Asian Games campaign, never managed to go ahead in the contest. After the triumph, the Indian team took a victory lap of the arena. It was another chapter in their dominance since the sport's introduction at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.
The women's team has now won the Asian Games gold in every edition except the 2018 Jakarta Games, when they settled for silver after losing to Iran.
