Double Gold! India Wins the Kabaddi Title — Twice — in One Single Day
Quick Summary
At the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, something amazing happened today. India’s kabaddi teams won gold medals in both the men’s and women’s events — on the very same day! Both finals were against Iran, and both times India came out on top.
What Happened?
Kabaddi is an exciting sport that began in ancient India thousands of years ago. Two teams take turns sending one player — called a “raider” — into the other team’s half of the court. The raider tries to tag as many opponents as possible and then run back to their side, all on a single breath. The whole time, the raider chants “kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi” out loud to prove they aren’t breathing in. It is a mix of tag, wrestling, and holding your breath!
This morning, the women’s team beat Iran in their final. This afternoon, the men’s team faced Iran, fell behind at halftime 17–18, and then roared back to win 40–34. Both victories happened at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
India has been the dominant force in Asian Games kabaddi for decades. The men’s team has now won gold in almost every Asian Games since the sport was first included in 1990. The only exception was 2018, when Iran took the title.
Sawan Barwal also had a spectacular day for India. He won a silver medal in the men’s marathon with a national record time of 2 hours, 11 minutes, and 37 seconds — India’s first Asian Games marathon medal since 1982!
Why Does It Matter?
The Asian Games is the biggest multi-sport event in Asia. It happens every four years and features athletes from 45 countries. Winning gold in kabaddi — a sport born in India — means a lot to millions of Indian fans watching back home.
Kabaddi is one of the few major sports in the world that was invented in Asia and is now spreading globally. Today’s double gold shows just how powerful India is in the sport they helped create.
Big Words
- Kabaddi — a team contact sport where a raider tries to tag opponents and return safely, all on one breath
- Raider — the player who crosses into the other team’s half to score points
- Asian Games — a major international sports competition held every four years for athletes from countries across Asia
- Defending champion — the team or athlete who won the gold medal at the previous competition
- National record — the fastest or best result ever achieved by an athlete from a particular country
Fun Fact
Kabaddi is so physically demanding that professional players are trained to hold their breath while running, dodging, and tackling — all at the same time!
Think About It
Kabaddi requires teamwork, quick thinking, and breath control all at once. Which of those three skills do you think would be the hardest to learn — and why?
Sources
- Olympics.com — Asian Games 2026 kabaddi: Scores, results, points table - full list
- India TV News — India grabs gold medal in men’s Kabaddi after stellar victory over Iran at Asian Games 2026
- Outlook India — Asian Games Day 8 Live Updates: India Win Men’s & Women’s Kabaddi Gold
- ESPN — India at Asian Games: Live updates from Day 7 action on September 26, 2026
- ProKabaddi — Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Day 6 LIVE: India vs Iran Finals