India defeated Iran 37–34 in a tense Asian Games 2026 final to retain the women’s kabaddi gold medal and claim their fourth title.
India’s women’s kabaddi team successfully defended its Asian Games title after defeating Iran 37–34 in a thrilling final at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday.
The closely contested victory delivered India its third gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games and extended the country’s dominance in women’s kabaddi. It was India’s fourth women’s kabaddi gold since the event was introduced at the Asian Games in 2010.
India Survive Iran’s Second-Half Comeback
India started strongly and built a 22–16 advantage by half-time after inflicting an all-out on Iran. The defending champions appeared to be in control, but the 2018 gold medallists responded aggressively after the break.
Iran gradually reduced the deficit and brought the contest within one point, placing India under considerable pressure in the closing stages.
Captain Pushpa Rana delivered a crucial tackle as India moved 34–28 ahead with approximately four minutes remaining. Iran continued fighting until the final whistle, but India maintained its composure to complete a tense three-point victory.
Unbeaten Campaign Ends With Gold
India completed the tournament without losing a match. The team opened its title defence with a dominant 42–21 victory over Bangladesh before defeating Iran 37–23 during the group stage.
Pushpa Rana’s side then produced another clinical performance against Nepal in the semi-final. India recorded three all-outs on the way to a commanding 48–24 win and secured its place in the gold-medal contest.
Iran presented a significantly stronger challenge in the final and came close to overturning India’s first-half advantage. However, the Indian defence held firm during the decisive final raids.
The result also provided a measure of revenge for India’s defeat against Iran in the 2018 Jakarta final. India reclaimed the title at the Hangzhou Games and has now won successive women’s kabaddi gold medals.
The victory underlines India’s continued strength in the sport while also demonstrating the rapidly narrowing gap between Asia’s leading kabaddi teams.
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