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India clinched their third gold medal of the Asian Games 2026 after the women's kabaddi team defeated Iran 37-34 in a closely fought final on Saturday, successfully defending the title they won at the Hangzhou edition.
India held their nerve in a tense closing phase, with Iran pushing hard for a comeback. With a minute remaining, Iran needed points to stay in contention, but India's defence produced a crucial tackle on Aynaz to effectively seal the contest, according to ESPN. India eventually prevailed 37-34 to add another gold to their medal tally. Sanju Devi, who had been one of India's standout performers throughout the tournament, once again played a key role as the Indian team withstood Iran's challenge in the medal decider. The gold took India's medal tally to 27, comprising three gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze medals, with the country placed 12th in the standings at the time of writing. The Indian women's kabaddi team comprised Pooja, Raj Rani, Sonali Vishnu Shingate, Pushpa, Bhavna Devi, Ritu, Sanju Devi, Ritu Negi, Manisha Kumari, Pinki Roy, Jyoti and Nikita. The Indian men's kabaddi team will also be in action later on Saturday, when they take on Iran in the men's gold medal match. Earlier in the day, Sawan Barwal won silver in the men's marathon with a national record time of 2:11:37, ending India's 44-year wait for an Asian Games marathon medal. India also secured silver in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions team event through Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen and Vidarsa Vinod. Tilottama finished fourth and Vidarsa fifth in the individual final. In squash, Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar secured a bronze medal after losing their mixed doubles semifinal against Hong Kong's Tang Ming Hong and Lee Ka Yi. Archery produced notable qualification performances, with Dhiraj Bommadevara topping the men's recurve qualification with 698 points while setting Asian and national records. Chikitha Taniparthi also finished first in women's compound qualification with 705 points. In badminton, Unnati Hooda advanced to the next round after defeating Malaysia's Wong Ling China, while Animesh Kujur topped his men's 200m heat to qualify for the semifinal. India's fencing teams also recorded wins earlier in the day, with the women's foil team beating Indonesia 45-24 and the men's sabre team defeating the Philippines 45-27 before both sides exited in the quarterfinals. (ANI)
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