Asian Games 2026: Indian women's kabaddi team clinches gold, beats Iran in nail-biting match

India's women's kabaddi team held their nerve in a tense final to beat Iran 37-34 on Saturday and extend the country's dominance in the sport at the Asian Games. The victory brought India another gold medal after a match in which they built a strong lead and then withstood a late fightback.

India led 22-16 at half-time, but Iran produced the better second half and won it 18-15. The deficit, however, proved too much to overturn, and after sealing the title the Indian players took a victory lap of the arena and chanted the national song 'Vande Mataram'.

How the final unfolded

The start was not great for India, but Sanju then produced two raids, with the second fetching multiple points to hand India the advantage. Iran stayed in the contest through crucial tackles from Zahra Karimi, and the momentum shifted again when India picked up a bonus point despite Iran completing a successful tackle. Iran then fought back with an all out, and Madadi added two more points to leave India's lead at just 27-26 with the match finely poised.

India responded with another strong phase as Sanju pulled off two more raids and Pushpa completed a tackle to stretch the lead. That took India six points clear at 34-28, and the cushion helped them close out the final despite Iran's stronger finish in the second half.

India's kabaddi record at the Asian Games

India's women's kabaddi team has now won the Asian Games gold in every edition except the 2018 Jakarta Games, when they had to settle for silver after losing to Iran. India have dominated the sport at the continental showpiece, with the men's and women's teams accounting for gold in all but one edition.

The men's team will have a chance to complete a golden double later on Saturday when they face Iran in the final. The Indian men's team had won seven consecutive gold medals before that run was halted at Jakarta 2018, where Iran emerged champions and India finished fourth. The Indian men bounced back at the 2023 Hangzhou Games, reclaiming the title.

India's latest women's gold came after a close and hard-fought final against Iran, with a 22-16 half-time advantage proving decisive in a 37-34 win. The title extended the team's long record at the Asian Games, while the men's side were set to take on Iran later on Saturday.