India’s women retained their Asian Games kabaddi title by defeating Iran 37-34 in a closely contested final at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Japan on Saturday, September 26. The India women’s kabaddi gold was the country’s third gold medal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games.
India women’s kabaddi gold secured in tight final
India began strongly and built a 15-10 advantage before taking a 22-16 lead into halftime. Iran responded after the break and reduced the deficit to a single point at 27-26 with about eight minutes remaining, turning the final into a test of composure.
Ritu Negi produced an important super tackle during the closing phase, while Pooja contributed decisive raids as India rebuilt the lead to 34-28. The defending champions then managed the remaining time to close out the contest by three points.
Outlook India and The Economic Times independently reported the 37-34 final score and India’s successful title defence. Outlook placed the match at Tokai City and recorded the halftime score as 22-16.
Iran’s comeback tests the defending champions
Iran’s Saniya Naeimi and Atena Madadi helped their team recover after India’s first-half advantage. The comeback revived memories of the 2018 Asian Games, when Iran defeated India in the women’s final and interrupted India’s dominance of the competition.
This time, India resisted the pressure. The result delivered a fourth women’s kabaddi title in five Asian Games editions. India have won the women’s event at every edition except Jakarta 2018, when they finished with silver behind Iran.
Chinese Taipei and Nepal took the bronze medals in the eight-team competition. Iran again finished on the podium but had to settle for silver after pushing India throughout the second half.
Another important gold for India in Nagoya
The victory followed India’s earlier gold medals in women’s cricket and the 10m air-pistol mixed team shooting event. It also came on a day when India collected medals in athletics and shooting, adding momentum to the country’s campaign.
Kabaddi remains one of India’s strongest Asian Games sports. The women’s tournament entered the programme in 2010, and India’s record across the five editions now includes four gold medals and one silver.
The final also demonstrated the narrow margins in modern international kabaddi. India’s six-point halftime advantage was almost erased, forcing the team to rely on a late defensive intervention, controlled raids and clock management rather than an easy finish.
The 37-34 result confirms that India remain the leading force in Asian women’s kabaddi, while Iran continue to present the most consistent challenge. Both teams had reached the final unbeaten, giving the title match added significance beyond the medal itself.
