India Complete Kabaddi Golden Double at 2026 Asian Games
India completed a memorable kabaddi golden double at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, successfully defending both team titles in two tense finals against Iran on Saturday, September 26.
The women’s team opened the celebrations with a 37-34 victory at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium. Hours later, the men recovered from a narrow halftime deficit to defeat Iran 40-34, giving India two gold medals from the final day of the kabaddi programme.
The victories extended India’s commanding Asian Games record in the sport and provided a major boost to the country’s wider campaign in Japan. By the end of Saturday’s events, India had moved to 10th place in the medal standings with four gold, 12 silver and 14 bronze medals, for an overall total of 30.
Women hold off Iran in dramatic final
India’s women entered the final unbeaten but faced their toughest test of the competition against an Iranian side determined to reclaim the title it won in 2018.
Captain Pushpa Rana’s team established a 22-16 advantage in the first half, combining effective raids with an early all-out. Iran remained dangerous through its bonus-point collection and increased the pressure after the interval.
The contest tightened when Iran inflicted an all-out and reduced India’s lead to a single point at 27-26. Sanju Devi then delivered one of the defining moments of the match, producing a super raid that restored India’s momentum. Pushpa Rana followed with another important contribution, while Pooja Kajla exploited gaps in the Iranian defence during the closing exchanges.
Iran outscored India in the second half, but the defending champions protected their advantage to secure a 37-34 win. The result gave India a second consecutive women’s kabaddi title and a fourth gold medal in the event’s Asian Games history.
Pushpa dedicated the victory to supporters across India, crediting the encouragement and blessings received by the team. She also acknowledged the quality of Iran’s challenge and said India had capitalised on the small number of mistakes that separated the finalists.
Men turn final around after halftime
The men’s final carried the intensity expected from the sport’s leading rivalry. Iran led 18-17 at halftime after a closely balanced opening period in which both teams traded successful raids and defensive interventions.
Arjun Deshwal and Devank Dalal carried much of India’s attacking responsibility. Arjun’s touches and bonus points kept the defending champions within reach during Iran’s strongest spell, while Devank repeatedly tested a defence featuring experienced stars Fazel Atrachali and Mohammadreza Shadloui.
India’s defence became increasingly influential after the break. Sumit and Jaideep combined effectively, forcing Iran into difficult do-or-die raids and creating the platform for a decisive swing. A successful raid by Aslam Inamdar and an all-out set up by Arjun helped India establish a five-point lead with about 10 minutes remaining.
Sumit produced a crucial back hold as Iran attempted to respond, while Rahul Sethpal added an important late tackle. Aslam then collected valuable points in the closing stages, allowing India to control the final seconds and complete the 40-34 victory.
The result secured India’s ninth men’s kabaddi gold from 10 Asian Games editions. The only interruption to that dominance came in 2018, when Iran won the title and India finished with bronze. India reclaimed the crown against Iran at Hangzhou and has now successfully defended it in Japan.
Celebrations across India
The two victories triggered celebrations among Indian supporters, with fans praising the teams’ composure in close matches and highlighting the growing intensity of the India-Iran rivalry. Social-media discussions focused particularly on Sanju Devi’s momentum-changing raid, Arjun Deshwal’s attacking performance and India’s stronger second-half defence in the men’s final.
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated both teams, describing the sweep as a reflection of their skill, resilience, composure and teamwork. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the champions had brought pride to the country and would inspire emerging players.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also celebrated the achievement, noting that the men had earned a record ninth Asian Games title while the women successfully defended their crown.
For India, the double gold represented more than two additions to the medal table. It reaffirmed the country’s place at the summit of Asian kabaddi, with both teams completing unbeaten campaigns and delivering under the pressure of finals against their strongest continental rivals.
