India, Sep 26 : India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams entered September 26 with gold medals at stake as both sides prepared to face Iran in the finals of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The two finals were scheduled at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, with the women’s gold-medal match set for 9:30 am IST and the men’s final at 2:30 pm. Both Indian teams had remained unbeaten through the group stage before advancing from their respective semifinals on September 25.
India’s women had progressed to the title clash after defeating Nepal in the semifinal, while the men booked their place in the final after beating Thailand. The results guaranteed India at least two silver medals while keeping the defending champions in contention for two golds.
The women’s final carried particular significance because Iran has been one of the strongest opponents in Asian women’s kabaddi. India entered the match looking to defend the title won at the previous Asian Games.
The men’s team also went into the final with an unbeaten record from the group phase. Led by captain Sunil Kumar, the squad includes experienced players such as Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik and Aslam Inamdar.
Kabaddi has traditionally been one of India’s major medal producing sports at the Asian Games. The 2026 competition began on September 21 and concluded with the two gold medal matches on September 26. Ten men’s teams and eight women’s teams participated in the competition.
The kabaddi finals were part of a packed schedule for India on Saturday.
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu began her women’s singles badminton campaign, while Lakshya Sen was scheduled to face Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew in the men’s singles round of 32. Unnati Hooda also featured in the women’s singles competition.
The badminton schedule gave Indian fans several prominent names to follow as the singles competitions began. Sindhu’s appearance marked another major stage in her Asian Games campaign, while Lakshya faced a challenging early round opponent in Loh.
Athletics also occupied a major part of the day.
Tajinderpal Singh Toor was scheduled to compete in the men’s shot put final, with Karanveer Singh also representing India in the event. Toor entered the competition as the defending champion and was aiming to continue his strong record at the continental Games.
The women’s 1500m final featured Parul Chaudhary and Pooja, while Jyothi Yarraji was scheduled to compete in the opening round of the women’s 100m hurdles. Animesh Kujur was among the Indian athletes in action in the men’s 200m.
India also had medal opportunities in shooting. Vidarsa K Vinod, Ashi Chouksey and Tilottama Sen were scheduled to compete in the women’s 50m rifle three positions event. Vidarsa had already contributed to India’s silver medal in the women’s rifle team competition earlier in the Games.
The shooting programme therefore offered another opportunity for India to strengthen a medal tally that had already received a major boost from the discipline.
Squash was another important area on the September 26 schedule. Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar were due to contest the mixed doubles semifinal, while Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh were also involved in singles semifinal action. The semifinal appearances guaranteed India medals in these events because the Asian Games squash format awards bronze to the losing semifinalists.
The day also included archery, boxing, canoe sprint, fencing, equestrian events and table tennis, giving the Indian contingent opportunities across a wide range of disciplines.
In athletics, Tejaswin Shankar and Thowfeeq Noushad began their decathlon campaigns. Shankar opened his competition with 10.98 seconds in the 100m, earning 865 points and standing fifth after the first event, while Noushad clocked 11.02 seconds for 856 points.
The marathon was another early-morning medal event, with Sawan Barwal and Kartik Karkera representing India. Barwal’s appearance was part of a wider athletics programme that included several finals and qualification rounds throughout the day.
India entered September 26 with 23 medals — two gold, nine silver and 12 bronze after a productive September 25. The previous day’s haul included shooting gold for Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet, silver for Gulveer Singh and the men’s 50m rifle three positions team, and bronze medals for Baranica Elangovan, Manpreet Kaur and the mixed doubles table tennis pair of Manush Shah and Diya Chitale.
The kabaddi finals therefore represented an immediate chance to add to that tally.
The women’s team was scheduled to meet Iran first, followed several hours later by the men’s final against the same opponent. With both teams having navigated the group stage and semifinals without defeat, the two matches were among the most closely watched events on India’s September 26 schedule.
Beyond kabaddi, the day offered medal opportunities in shooting, athletics and squash, while badminton and several other sports began or continued their knockout stages.
The September 26 programme reflected the depth of India’s participation at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. From established Olympic medallists such as Sindhu to defending Asian Games champions in kabaddi and experienced athletes in athletics and shooting, the contingent had competitors spread across several venues and disciplines.
As the Games move towards their second week, every medal contributes to the overall standings and provides another opportunity for Indian athletes to build on the performances recorded during the opening days. The focus on September 26 was particularly strong on kabaddi, but India’s medal campaign extended well beyond the two finals.
With the women’s and men’s kabaddi teams both entering gold-medal matches against Iran, September 26 became another important day for India at the Asian Games, alongside a busy programme featuring badminton, athletics, shooting, squash and other sports.