India produced a thrilling performance in the men’s kabaddi competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, defeating Iran 40-34 in a fiercely contested Final at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Saturday to successfully defend their title and claim their ninth Asian Games Gold medal in kabaddi.
The Final lived up to its billing from the opening raid, with India and Iran trading points in a tense start. Arjun Deshwal and Devank Dalal led India’s attack with aggressive raids, while Ali Samadi Choubtarash provided the early threat for Iran. Sunil Kumar immediately made his presence felt in defence with a crucial Super Tackle on Mohammadreza Shadlouichiyaneh, while Arjun kept India ticking with a combination of touches and bonus points. Iran, however, seized the momentum when Amirmohammad Zafar Danesh produced a successful All-Out raid to put his side ahead.
With both teams showing patience and discipline in defence, the contest remained finely balanced. Arjun continued to find points for India, while Jaideep came up with important defensive interventions to swing the momentum back India’s way. Iran captain Fazel Atrachali responded with a Super Tackle, before Zafar Danesh caught Devank Dalal to ensure Iran carried a narrow 18-17 lead into the second half.
India came out with renewed intent after the break, forcing Iran into do-or-die raids. Zafar Danesh repeatedly answered the challenge, while Shadlouichiyaneh’s ankle hold extended Iran’s advantage. But India’s defence began to take control as Sumit and Jaideep combined for a Super Tackle on Ali Samadi, before Aslam Inamdar followed it up with a successful do-or-die raid to bring India level.
As the two sides continued to trade high-quality tackles, Sumit increasingly became a key figure in India’s defence from the left corner, while Omid and Fazel combined for another Super Tackle to keep Iran within touching distance. India finally broke through when Arjun Deshwal managed to get past the formidable Fazel Atrachali, setting up an All-Out that gave India a five-point lead with 10 minutes remaining.
With the pressure mounting, Arjun and Devank continued to attack the Iranian defence, while Sumit produced a decisive back hold to shut down Zafar Danesh and stretch India’s advantage. Shadlouichiyaneh continued to keep Iran in the contest, but Rahul Sethpal came up with a crucial tackle to maintain India’s seven-point lead with three minutes remaining.
Iran pushed higher up the mat in a final attempt to turn the contest around, but Aslam Inamdar responded with two valuable points to keep India firmly in control. As the final seconds ticked away, Iran could find no way back, with India completing a 40-34 victory to secure the gold medal and finish their Asian Games campaign unbeaten.
