India completes a kabaddi golden double at Asian Games 2026 as the men beat Iran 40-34 after the women’s 37-34 victory
New Delhi: India completed a golden double in kabaddi at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday after the men’s team defeated Iran 40-34 in a thrilling final, hours after the women’s side also overcame the same opponents.
The men’s victory in Aichi-Nagoya secured India’s ninth Asian Games gold in men’s kabaddi and retained the title won at Hangzhou.
The final remained tightly contested, with Iran leading 18-17 at half-time after several momentum swings. India fell 17-20 behind early in the second half but fought back to regain the lead before an all-out gave them a crucial 29-24 advantage with 10 minutes remaining.
India’s defence held firm in the closing stages as the team maintained its lead to seal the 40-34 victory. Earlier, the Indian women’s team had defeated Iran 37-34 in another closely fought final to retain its Asian Games crown.
The two kabaddi gold medals took India’s overall tally to 28 medals, four gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze, moving the country into the top 10 of the standings. It was a memorable day for Indian kabaddi, with both teams defeating Iran in the finals and successfully defending their titles.
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