Another Saturday, another gold. India’s kabaddi queens defeated Iran 37-34 at the Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi-Nagoya, keeping their Asian Games crown intact.
The win marks India’s fourth women’s kabaddi gold at the Asian Games 2026 edition and their second in a row, having ruled the podium at the Hangzhou season. The only blip in an otherwise dominant run came at Jakarta 2018, when Iran pulled off a shocker, defying India’s attempts to clinch the title for the first time in history.
Saturday’s final was no formality. Iran matched India step for step through the match. India held a 22-16 lead at half time, but their opponent staged a better show with 18-15 and, with barely a minute left on the clock, forced a tie. However, the deficit proved too much to overcome. India’s defence held firm. Tackling Iran’s Aynaz at a crucial moment, it held the team from closing the gap. Raider Sanju Devi was among India’s standout performers through the tournament.
Gold picked up by the Indian Kabaddi team took the overall medal tally to 27. Three gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze make India’s medal count heavier. Earlier in the day, Sawan Barwal clinched marathon silver, clocking a national record time of 2:11:37.
There’s more gold up for grabs before the day ends. India’s men’s kabaddi team, chasing their ninth Asian Games title in ten editions, take on Iran in the men’s final later Saturday afternoon, hoping to complete a kabaddi gold double for the country.