Hyderabad, September 25, 2026: India's men's and women's kabaddi teams have both reached the gold medal matches at the 2026 Asian Games. Both sides won their semi-finals at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Thursday. IFK Chief Kasani Gnaneshwar Mudiraj has congratulated Indian kabaddi teams for their exceptional performance at 2026 Asian Games as Indian Kabaddi fans look forward to interesting final matches.
The men's team beat Thailand 66-28. India led 7-1 within five minutes and were 37-18 up at half-time. Thailand briefly narrowed the gap to 14-23, with Theeradat Chaisit leading their fightback. After that, India's raiders and defence took over again. They passed 50 points with about 11 minutes left and finished with 8 all-out points and 15 bonus points.
Earlier in the day, the women's team beat Nepal 48-24. Sanju Devi and Sonali were strong from the start and India led 31-17 at the break. Nepal's Ganga Ghimire made the raid of the match, taking four points while defenders held her ankles. It wasn't enough to slow India down.
Both teams won every group match on the way here. The men beat Japan 49-24, South Korea 63-31, Bangladesh, and Chinese Taipei 37-21 to top Group A. The women beat Bangladesh, Iran 37-23 in a tight game settled by a key raid from Pooja, and hosts Japan 50-25.
India are the defending champions in both events, and the finals are on Saturday, September 26. Their opponents will be the winners of the Iran vs Chinese Taipei semi-finals. The men's team is chasing a ninth Asian Games gold. They have won eight of their nine medals since kabaddi joined the Games in 1990, and their only non-gold finish was bronze in 2018.
More competitive across Asia
The scorelines favour India, but this tournament has also shown how far other countries have come. Ten nations entered the men's event and eight entered the women's. Kabaddi has been growing across Asia, Europe and Africa, Mr. Kasani noted. Thailand, Nepal, Chinese Taipei and Iran all reached the semi-finals. Players like Ghimire and Chaisit showed that attacking skill is now spreading beyond kabaddi's traditional strongholds.
International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) President Kasani Gnaneshwar Mudiraj said the Games showed the sport's growing reach. "What we are seeing in Japan is more than one team's success. It is proof that kabaddi has become a truly Asian sport, and soon a truly global one. When Nepal, Thailand and Chinese Taipei play at this level, the whole kabaddi family grows stronger. Our job now is to make sure a young athlete in Europe or Africa has the same opportunity to fall in love with this game."
Help for grassroots kabaddi in Europe and Africa
At the IKF Annual General Meeting in Hyderabad on September 4, 2026, IKF member federations decided that the IKF will support continental kabaddi federations in developing the sport at grassroots level across Europe and Africa.
The European Kabaddi Federation (EKF) represents 18 countries. EKF President Dalbir Singh Sandhu said European kabaddi is ready for the next step and national Kabaddi Federations across Europe are preparing for a mega event in near future for European nations. "Kabaddi needs no expensive equipment, only a mat, discipline and courage. That is why it can grow in schools and communities across Europe. With the IKF's support, we will put our effort into coaching, youth competitions and women's participation in our 18 member nations," Mr. Sandhu added.
Sandhu also backed the IKF's long-term ambitions. "The European Kabaddi Federation firmly supports Mr. Kasani's mission to take kabaddi to new heights and to lead it towards inclusion in the 2036 Olympic Games. What we have witnessed in Aichi-Nagoya shows the sport is ready for the world stage."
For now, attention turns to Saturday, when India go for a double gold.