India has won the double gold in kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games. India’s men’s kabaddi team has secured a hard-fought 40-34 victory over traditional rivals Iran in the final at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Saturday, claiming gold at the 20th Asian Games. It is the men’s team’s record-extending ninth gold over the ten editions of the multi-sport event.
After women, men's team wins Kabaddi final defeating Iran; adds 4th gold medal of 2026 Asian Games
The win marks a successful back-to-back defence of the title they won in Hangzhou in 2022. Captain Sunil Kumar’s side dominated the tournament, remaining unbeaten throughout the competition after topping their group and defeating Thailand comprehensively in the semi-final. The only edition they didn't win the gold was in 2018, when they lost to Iran in the semi-final.
The final against Iran was closely contested. After trailing by a point at half-time, India asserted control in the second half to seal the victory and add to the country’s growing medal tally at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. Meanwhile, the women’s team had earlier retained their gold medal with a 37-34 win over the same opponents. The result reinforces India’s long-standing supremacy in the sport at the continental level.
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