India's Sumit tackles Iran's Amirhossein Taghipour. (Reuters Photo)
NEW DELHI: India completed a golden double in kabaddi at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday as the men’s team defeated Iran 40-34 in a thrilling final, hours after the women had also beaten the same opponents to retain their title. The men’s victory at Aichi-Nagoya earned India its ninth Asian Games gold in men’s kabaddi and successfully defended the title won at the Hangzhou edition. The two kabaddi gold medals also lifted India’s overall medal tally to 28 — four gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze, taking the country into the top 10 of the standings. It was another tense encounter against Iran, the 2018 Asian Games champions, with neither side able to establish sustained control for long periods. But India held their nerve through a roller-coaster second half before pulling away late to secure the gold.
India and Iran trade blows in tense final
The final began on an even note, with the teams locked at 5-5 after the opening eight minutes. India then managed to create a small advantage, moving 12-9 ahead, but Iran responded strongly and turned the contest around. With less than five minutes remaining in the first half, Iran moved ahead 14-13. India responded by reclaiming the advantage at 16-14, only for Iran to strike back again. The momentum continued to swing between the two sides, and Iran eventually went into the interval with an 18-17 lead. India needed a strong response after the restart, but Iran extended their advantage to 20-17. A crucial super tackle helped India cut the deficit to 19-20 before the defending champions finally regained the lead at 21-20. Iran immediately levelled at 21-21, underlining just how little separated the two teams. India then began to build some breathing room, moving 24-21 ahead. Iran responded with a super tackle of their own to collect two points and reduce India's advantage to 24-23. The match remained finely balanced, but India produced the crucial breakthrough with an all-out that pushed them five points clear at 29-24 with 10 minutes remaining.
Men follow women to complete golden double
From there, India managed the contest effectively. Iran continued to push for a comeback, but the Indian defence held firm and the attack kept adding points to maintain the advantage. India eventually closed out the final 40-34 to complete the kabaddi double and retain the men's title. The result also gave India its fourth gold of the Games and moved the country into the top 10 of the overall medal standings. Earlier on Saturday, the Indian women's kabaddi team had set the stage for the double by overcoming Iran 37-34 in another closely fought final.
The women, too, successfully defended the gold they had won at Hangzhou. India held their nerve during a tense closing phase as Iran attempted to force a late comeback. With only a minute remaining, Iran needed points to remain in contention, but India's defence produced a crucial tackle on Aynaz to effectively seal the contest. India eventually prevailed 37-34, with Sanju Devi once again playing a key role after being one of the team's standout performers throughout the tournament. For Indian kabaddi, it was a statement day: two finals against Iran, two victories and two gold medals, with both the men's and women's teams successfully defending their Asian Games titles.
