India's men's and women's kabaddi teams will begin their Asian Games 2026 campaigns on September 21 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with both sides aiming to retain the gold medals they won at the previous edition.
Kabaddi will be held from September 21 to 26 at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture. The competition features 10 men's teams and eight women's teams, with the group stage followed by the semi-finals on September 25 and gold-medal matches on September 26.
India's preparations have included multiple training camps, with both squads completing their final camp at the SAI NCOE in Gandhinagar from September 5 to 14.
Asian Games 2026 kabaddi format and groups
The men's and women's competitions will be divided into two groups each. Teams will play every opponent in their group once,
with the top two advancing to the semi-finals.
There will be no bronze-medal playoff, with both losing semi-finalists awarded bronze medals.
Men's groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | Iran |
| Bangladesh | Nepal |
| Republic of Korea | Thailand |
| Chinese Taipei | Pakistan |
| Japan | Malaysia |
Women's groups
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | Sri Lanka |
| Iran | Thailand |
| Japan | Chinese Taipei |
| Bangladesh | Nepal |
India's men's team will therefore face Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan in the group stage, while the women's team will meet Bangladesh, Iran and Japan.
Iran will be a particularly important opponent for the women, with the two sides scheduled to meet on September 23.
India kabaddi schedule and timings
India's men's team begins against hosts Japan on September 21, while the women's team opens against Bangladesh later the same day.
| Date | Team | Opponent | IST timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 21 | Men | Japan | From 6:00 AM |
| September 21 | Women | Bangladesh | From 12:30 PM |
| September 22 | Men | Republic of Korea | From 6:00 AM |
| September 23 | Men | Bangladesh | From 6:00 AM |
| September 23 | Women | Iran | From 6:00 AM |
| September 24 | Men | Chinese Taipei | From 6:00 AM |
| September 24 | Women | Japan | From 12:30 PM |
| September 25 | Men & Women | Semi-finals | From 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM |
| September 26 | Women | Final | From 9:30 AM |
| September 26 | Men | Final | From 2:30 PM |
India's Asian Games 2026 kabaddi squads
Men's squad
Captain Sunil Kumar leads India's 12-member men's squad and includes Pawan Sehrawat, Aslam Inamdar, Ashu Malik, Ayan Lohchab, Devank Dalal, Arjun Deshwal, Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Sumit Sangwan, Gaurav Khatri and Ankit Jaglan.
Eight players in the squad are set to make their Asian Games debut, reflecting the changing profile of Indian kabaddi.
The squad also draws heavily from the Pro Kabaddi League. Ayan Lohchab and Devank Dalal finished as the league's top two raiders in Season 12, while Jaideep Dahiya and Gaurav Khatri were among the leading defenders.
Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar provide Asian Games experience, having been part of India's gold-medal winning team at the previous edition.
Sehrawat said the expectation of gold is something the players embrace rather than view as a burden.
"You expect something from someone who deserves it, and you expect gold from kabaddi," he said. "That expectation gets converted into motivation and makes it easier to play. "
Women's squad
The women's team features captain Pushpa Rana, Ritu Negi, Sonali Shingate, Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Rajrani and Nikita Kumari.
Rana, Negi and Shingate return from the team that won gold at Hangzhou, where India edged Chinese Taipei 26-25 in the final.
Sanju Devi is another key figure after being named MVP of the 2025 Women's Kabaddi World Cup, where India defeated Chinese Taipei 35-28 in the final.
The squad has also benefited from an extended preparation programme, including camps in May and June before the final stages at JSW Ballari and SAI Gandhinagar.
India enters as defending champion
India has won 11 Asian Games kabaddi gold medals, including eight in the men's competition and three in the women's event.
The men's team won gold at every Asian Games from 1990 to 2014 before finishing with bronze in 2018. They returned to the top of the podium in Hangzhou, defeating Iran in a controversial final.
The women's team has won gold at all three editions since kabaddi was introduced to the women's Asian Games programme in 2010.
That record puts considerable expectations on both squads in Aichi-Nagoya. However, the players acknowledge that the international game has become more competitive.
"Kabaddi has evolved significantly. The game is becoming faster and more tactical, and the competition at the international level is increasing," men's captain Sunil Kumar said.
India's preparations have also been shaped by the growing international reach of the sport. Pushpa Rana pointed to India's league ecosystem as an important factor, saying overseas players and coaches have gained experience through Indian competitions before taking that knowledge back to their own countries.
The Asian Games kabaddi competition will begin on September 21, with India targeting another men's and women's golden double.
