Pushpa Rana's team beats Iran to win women's kabaddi gold at Asian Games 2026

India has won another gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games, this time through its women's kabaddi team. This is India's third gold medal of the Games.

In the final, India defeated Iran 37-34. India led 22-16 in the first half, but Iran staged a strong comeback in the second half, at one point narrowing the gap to 27-26. Despite the tough situation, the Indian players kept their composure and fought back to secure the gold for the country. Sanju Devi put in a standout performance in the final with a brilliant raid that proved decisive for India's win.

India's team had been considered strong favourites for the gold from the start of the competition and went unbeaten through the tournament, winning every match. The team's coaches had said beforehand that kabaddi is India's game, that it originated in India, and that no one could beat India at it. By winning gold, the team proved the coaches right.

India did not lose a single match through the 2026 Asian Games. After winning all three group matches, the team went on to win the semi-final and the final as well to claim the gold.

India began its campaign with a 42-21 win over Bangladesh, followed by a 37-23 win over Iran. India then beat Japan 50-25 to finish on top of Group A and reach the semi-finals. In the semi-final, India beat Nepal 48-24 to reach the final, where it beat Iran 37-34 to win the gold.

India's dominance in kabaddi continues. Since the sport was included in the Asian Games in 1990, the Indian men's team has won nine medals in total, including eight golds. The only exception was in 2018, when the team had to settle for bronze, breaking India's run of gold medals.

The women's kabaddi team that won gold for India is: Pushpa Rana (captain), Ritu Negi, Jyoti Thakur, Pooja Hathwala, Sonali Vishnu Shingate, Manisha Kumari, Pinky Roy, Ritu Sheoran, Bhawna Devi Thakur, Nikita, Raj Rani and Sanju Devi.