India's women's kabaddi team once again underlined the country's dominance in the sport, holding off a determined Iran side 37-34 in a gripping Asian Games 2026 final on Saturday to claim gold and add another major title to India's expanding medal haul in Nagoya.
The final was closely fought throughout, with Iran pushing India hard and refusing to let the contest drift. But India's women showed composure in the decisive moments, preserving their advantage in the closing stages to secure the gold medal and reinforce their reputation as one of the continent's most reliable kabaddi powerhouses. The result was among the most significant for India on a day when the country's athletes continued to deliver across a wide range of events.
The kabaddi triumph came as part of a broader medal surge that highlighted India's depth at these Games. In the men's marathon, Sawan Barwal won silver, adding endurance running to the list of disciplines in which India has reached the podium. In shooting, the women's 50m rifle 3 positions team of Vidarsa Vinod, Ashi Chouksey and Tilottama Sen secured silver, while the mixed team 10m air pistol pairing of Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh struck gold in another strong showing for India's shooters.
India's mixed squash doubles team, featuring Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar, also claimed bronze, further broadening the country's medal spread. The result added to a growing list of podium finishes in racquet sports, athletics and combat disciplines, reflecting a campaign in which Indian athletes have repeatedly converted pressure into results.
Friday had already set the tone for the weekend. The table tennis duo of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale produced one of India's most eye-catching results of the competition, winning a historic bronze in mixed doubles after stunning the world No. 4 pair from Hong Kong to reach the semi-finals. Their breakthrough was one of several firsts and milestones that have defined India's campaign.
Baranica Elangovan also entered the record books with a historic bronze in women's pole vault, while long-distance runner Gulveer Singh upgraded his Asian Games medal from bronze to silver in the men's 10,000m. In the same event group, Seema Kumari became only the third Indian woman to medal in the 10,000m at the Asian Games, following in the footsteps of Preeja Sreedharan and Kavita Raut, who famously completed a gold-silver double in 2010.
India's track and field success continued with Manpreet Kaur taking bronze in the women's shot put with a season-best effort of 17.17m. The throw, delivered in Nagoya on Friday, added another medal to India's growing athletics count and underlined the country's competitiveness in field events as well as on the track.
The shooting range remained one of India's most productive arenas. Alongside the mixed team gold, the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team of Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudranksh Patil and Niraj Kumar won silver, while the men's skeet team of Anantjeet Singh Naruka, Bhavtegh Singh Gill and Mairaj Ahmad Khan earned bronze. India also picked up a bronze through the women's skeet team of Raiza Dhillon, Maheshwari Chauhan and Parinaaz Dhaliwal, and earlier the women's 10m air rifle team of Elavenil Valarivan, Sonam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod had secured silver. Elavenil Valarivan added another silver in the individual women's 10m air rifle event.
Rudranksh Patil and Himanshu Dhillon were among the other shooters to add to India's tally, with Rudranksh winning silver in the men's 10m air rifle team event and later bronze in the individual competition, while Himanshu Dhillon took silver in the men's individual 10m air rifle. Suchika Tariyal also contributed with bronze in women's traditional MMA 60kg.
India's medal count has also been boosted by success in non-traditional and emerging events. Jay Meena won the country's first-ever soft tennis medal at the Asian Games, taking bronze after reaching the men's singles semi-finals. In rowing, Satnam Singh and Salman Khan earned bronze in the men's double sculls. In wushu, Manipur's Roshibina Devi Naorem claimed silver, her third straight Asian Games medal and second silver, continuing a remarkable run of consistency at the continental level.
India's team sports have not been left behind. The men's badminton team, led by Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, secured bronze after losing 1-3 to China in the semi-finals. The 4x400m mixed relay team also added silver in the final event at Paloma Mizuho Stadium, ensuring India remained in the medal conversation until the closing stages of the day.
With the women's kabaddi team's gold providing the latest headline moment, India's campaign at the Asian Games 2026 has been defined by breadth as much as brilliance. From the shooting range to the athletics track, from kabaddi mats to squash courts, Indian athletes have delivered a steady stream of podium finishes, turning the Games into one of the country's most productive multi-sport outings in recent years.