Journalism of Courage
India win 2nd consecutive men’s Asian Games kabaddi gold with thrilling win over Iran in final
India won their ninth kabaddi gold medal across 10 edition of the men's event at the Asian Games, beating Iran in the final on Saturday.
Indian players tackle an Iranian player during the men's kabaddi final at the Asian Games in Tokai City, Japan, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
The Indian men’s kabaddi team retained their Asian Games gold medal, beating Iran 40-34 in the final in Aichi-Nagoya on Saturday. The two sides were matching each other toe-to-toe throughout the first half but India pretty much outplayed Iran entirely in the second.
Emulating the Indian women’s team that saw off Iran 37-34 in the final earlier in the day, the men’s side also extended their dominant run in the tournament, handing their fourth gold medal of the ongoing Asian Games.
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India had topped the group stages with a flawless run, beating Japan, Chinese Taipei, Bangladesh and Korea to top pool A. They subsequently thwarted Thailand 66-28 in the semi-final.
The men’s kabaddi event has been a part of the Asian Games since the 1990 edition. India have won the gold medal in every previous edition of the continental event, except the 2018 Jakarta Games where they bagged the bronze as Iran clinched the gold.
This is India’s 13th gold medal in kabaddi at the Asian Games, with the men contributing nine and the women four. Kabaddi is India’s third-most successful event in Asian Games history, only behind Athletics (85) and Shooting (17) in terms of gold medals.
Asian Games Kabaddi Men’s All-time Medal Tally
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | India (IND) | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 | Iran (IRI) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | Bangladesh (BAN) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | Pakistan (PAK) | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| 5 | South Korea (KOR) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Chinese Taipei (TPE) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
7
|
Japan (JPN) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Thailand (THA) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
as of September 26, 2026
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