India's women's kabaddi team claimed gold at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan, defeating arch-rivals Iran 37-34 in a tense final on Saturday, September 26. India held a commanding 22-16 lead at half-time, but Iran fought back strongly in the second half to win that period 18-15, falling just short of overturning the deficit. The victory reinforces India's near-total dominance of kabaddi (a contact team sport originating in South Asia) at the continental Games, with the women's team having won gold in every edition except the 2018 Jakarta Games, where Iran beat them into second place.