By Adala Anvith Reddy
OCA Youth Reporter from India
Nagoya, Japan, September 26, 2026: India's men 's kabaddi team beat the Islamic Republic of Iran 40-34 to win their second consecutive Asian Games gold at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium on Saturday.
Coached by Balwant Singh and led by captain Sunil Kumar, India trailed 18-17 at half-time. India’s score was comprised of 11 out points, 3 bonus, 1 technical point and 2 super tackles to bring the score to a 1-point deficit.
Iran tried to maintain the momentum in the second half but the Indian squad made a remarkable recovery and steadily gained command of the game.
India established an important 34-27 advantage, applying pressure on Iran, and in the dying moments further extended its lead to 40-34, ultimately winning the gold medal by six points.
Speaking after the match, India’s Pawan Kumar said: “Iran are a very good team. We knew it would be a tough match but we had complete confidence in our raiders, our defense and the entire team.
“We made one or two defensive mistakes at the beginning, but our raiders made up for them. Our defense also improved, with Sumit making several successful tackles. We expected a good match, and that is what we got.”
The victory also completed a golden kabaddi double after the women's team had been crowned champions earlier in the day.