India Seals Historic Double Kabaddi Gold as Men & Women Outclass Iran in Nagoya
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Super Saturday in Aichi-Nagoya belonged to India as the nation reasserted absolute continental supremacy on the kabaddi mat, securing a golden double against traditional powerhouse Iran at the Asian Games 2026. The historic afternoon began with the Indian women's team edging out Iran in a 37-34 thriller, setting the stage for an equally pulsating men's summit clash. Led by tactical raiding and disciplined defensive holds, the Indian men's squad rallied from an 18-17 halftime deficit to topple Iran 40-34 in the final minutes. The victory clinched India’s fourth gold medal of the 2026 Games, secured the men's team's ninth Asian Games crown, and brought India's overall all-time kabaddi gold tally to an unmatched 13.
Halftime Deficit to Dominant Comeback: How Arjun Deshwal Broke Fazel's Defense
The men's final lived up to its billing as world kabaddi's fiercest rivalry, featuring aggressive raiding, calculated super tackles, and swinging momentum:
Fierce First-Half Exchange: Iran edged ahead 18-17 before the break as Amirmohammad Zafar Danish converted critical touches and captain Fazel Atrachali executed a clinical super tackle to hold off India's frontline raiders Devank Dalal and Arjun Deshwal.
Super Tackles Turn the Tide: Regrouping after the interval, India tightened its defensive perimeter; Sunil Kumar, Sumit, and Jaideep executed decisive super tackles on Iranian stars Mohammadreza Shadlooichianeh and Ali Samadi Choubtrash.
Decisive All-Out Breakthrough: Aslam Inamdar leveled scores with a nerveless do-or-die raid, before Arjun Deshwal slipped past the formidable Fazel Atrachali to inflict a full all-out on Iran, giving India an unassailable five-point cushion with 10 minutes left on the clock.
Closing Minutes Clasp: Rahul Sethpal delivered a clutch tackle with three minutes remaining to preserve a seven-point buffer, shutting the door on Iran's comeback bid and closing the contest at 40-34.
Unbeaten Campaign: India’s Legendary Legacy on the Asian Games Mat
India’s golden march through the Nagoya tournament was marked by relentless consistency, leaving the side undefeated from group fixtures to the medal podium:
Flawless Tournament Run: In Pool A, India dismantled Japan, Chinese Taipei, Bangladesh, and Korea to sweep the group stage, before overwhelming Thailand 66-28 in the semi-finals to punch their ticket to the gold medal match.
Historical Dominance: Since kabaddi's official inclusion at the Beijing 1990 Asian Games, the Indian men's side has captured gold in every edition except Jakarta 2018.
Record Medal Haul: With 13 cumulative gold medals across men's (9) and women's (4) divisions, kabaddi stands firmly as India’s third most decorated discipline in Asian Games history, trailing only track-and-field athletics (85) and shooting (17).
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