The Kabaddi arena and India’s ‘Rajtilak’ in the Asian Games…this story may be old now, but it brings new thrills every time. In Nagoya too, instead of the picture changing, history is repeating itself. Both men’s and women’s Indian teams have reached the finals and now after 11 gold, the roar of 12th gold is being heard.
On Friday, first the Indian women defeated Nepal 48-24 to book their ticket to the finals and then the men’s team defeated Thailand 66-28 to make it to the title match. Both are defending champions and are so far undefeated in Nagoya. That means the stage is all set to write the next chapter of India’s golden rule in Kabaddi.
Women’s team caught Nepal in the beginning itself
In the women’s semi-finals, India tightened the noose on Nepal from the first half itself. The score was 31-17 and from here the direction of the match became almost clear. The Indian team strengthened its lead by scoring four all-outs and four bonus points in the first half.
Nepal had a chance to make a comeback in the second half, but its challenge could not stand against the Indian defense and raiding. Nepal could add only seven points in the second half. India won the match 48-24 and entered the finals.
women’s kabaddi asian games It was first included in 2010. Since then, India has won gold in every edition. Before Nagoya, Indian women had three gold and one silver to their name. Now there is a chance to win another consecutive title.
Asian Games 2026 | Kabaddi (Women’s Team | Semifinal)
INTO THE FINAL!
India secure a convincing 48-24 (Outs – 35 | Bonus – 7 | All-Out – 6) victory over Japan in the semifinal
Gold medal match scheduled for the Pushpa Rana-led women’s team on 26th Sept from 9:30 AM IST… pic.twitter.com/b6wMOTDCN9
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) September 25, 2026
Men thrash Thailand 66-28
After the women, the men’s team also reached the finals in the same fashion. Against Thailand, Indian players maintained their control over the match from the beginning. India was ahead 37-18 in the first half.
The story did not change in the second half also. The Indian team did not give any chance to Thailand to make a comeback and ultimately won the match by a huge margin of 66-28.
India’s aggression can be gauged from the bonus points. The Indian team scored 15 bonus points in the match, while Thailand could score only five bonus points. The difference of 38 points on the scoreboard was telling the whole story of the dominance of the Indian team.
Asian Games 2026 | Kabaddi (Men’s Team | Semifinals)
INTO THE FINAL!
Sunil Kumar-led Men’s Team join the Women’s Kabaddi Team to reach the final of their respective events
India secure a convincing 66-28 (Outs – 43 | Bonus – 15 | All-Out – 8) victory over Thailand in the… pic.twitter.com/BGb1ssOCeH
— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) September 25, 2026
8 gold in men’s kabaddi, 2018 is the only exception
Men’s Kabaddi was introduced in the Asian Games in 1990 and India has won eight gold medals so far. Before Nagoya, in the men’s category, India had 8 gold and one bronze, i.e. a total of nine medals.
The most special thing about this record is that apart from India, only Iran has become the Asian Games champion in men’s Kabaddi. Iran won gold in 2018. In that edition, India unexpectedly had to settle for a bronze medal.
That picture of 2018 was the only major exception in the long golden rule of Indian Kabaddi. After this, India again captured the title and now its eyes are on the next gold in Nagoya.
After 11 gold, the roar of 12th
Before Nagoya, India had a total of 11 gold medals in men’s and women’s Kabaddi – 8 for men and 3 for women. Now both the teams are in the finals.
That means India has two chances to increase its Kabaddi gold tally in the same Asian Games. If both win the finals, India’s gold count will become 9 in the men’s category and 4 in the women’s category. Overall, Indian Kabaddi’s Asian Games gold count will reach 13.
However, the challenge still remains in the final. In both the categories, India will face the winner of the match between Iran and Chinese Taipei.
Why is India’s ‘Rajatilak’ special in Kabaddi?
In the history of Asian Games, Iran has one gold in men’s Kabaddi against India’s eight gold. Among women, India has topped in every edition played so far. This is the reason why India’s success in Kabaddi was not limited to any one team or one generation.
Both the Indian teams are now standing on the threshold of carrying forward the same legacy in Nagoya. The victory in the semi-finals has certainly made the task easier, but the real crown will be found in the final.
11 The gold is already shining. Now in Nagoya the question is not just about a medal, but about adding another chapter to that golden legacy. Both men and women are in the finals – meaning the stage is set for India’s next ‘coronation’ in the Kabaddi arena.
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