India’s men’s kabaddi team successfully defended its Asian Games crown after producing a stunning second-half comeback to defeat Iran 40-34 in the gold-medal match at the Aichi-Nagoya Games on Saturday.
Trailing 17-18 at half-time, the defending champions completely turned the contest around after the break and finished with a commanding six-point victory.
The win also completed a golden double for India in kabaddi on the day. Earlier, the Indian women’s team defeated Iran 37-34 in the final to retain their Asian Games title.
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The men followed their lead hours later, ensuring both Indian teams returned home with gold medals.
Following the success, the Indian side made a victory trip around the venue and sang the patriotic song "Vande Mataram."
India Overcome Iran After Tight First Half
The men’s final began on an even note, with neither side able to establish a significant advantage in the opening stages. Iran, packed with experienced players, remained competitive throughout the first half and went into the interval with a narrow 18-17 lead.
India, however, returned from the break with a completely different intensity. The raiding unit began finding points more consistently, while the defence tightened its grip on Iran’s attackers.
The contest remained close for a period, but India gradually began to pull away. The defending champions were particularly dominant in the second half, denying Iran the opportunity to reproduce the kind of late drama seen in previous Asian Games finals.
India Pull Away In The Final Stages
With the clock winding down, India had established a sizeable advantage. At one stage, the score read 39-30 with just 1:41 remaining, effectively putting the gold medal beyond Iran’s reach.
Iran attempted to fight back, with Fazal Atrachali involved in a desperate tackle as India looked to protect its lead. However, the Indian raiders continued to find ways through the Iranian defence.
India eventually closed out the final 40-34, completing a memorable turnaround from their one-point half-time deficit.
Ninth Asian Games Gold For India
The victory is another major addition to India’s remarkable Asian Games kabaddi record. The men’s team had won seven consecutive gold medals before finishing fourth at the 2018 Jakarta Games, where Iran claimed the title.
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India returned to the top at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and have now successfully defended that crown in Aichi-Nagoya.
The 2026 triumph is India’s ninth men’s kabaddi gold at the Asian Games, further underlining the country’s long-standing dominance in the sport. Iran remains the only other nation to have won the men’s title since kabaddi became a full Asian Games event in 1990.
With both the men’s and women’s teams winning gold against Iran on the same day, India completed a memorable kabaddi double at the 2026 Asian Games.