Kabaddi has been part of the Asian Games since 1990, with the women’s competition joining the programme in 2010. Over the years, several nations have reached the top, but one country has dominated the competition more than any other. India has won 11 of the 13 gold medals awarded across the men’s and women’s tournaments.
The Asian Games kabaddi medal table shows the huge gap between India and the rest of the field. Iran is the only other country to win gold, while Bangladesh, Pakistan and other Asian nations have regularly competed for silver and bronze medals.
Asian Games Kabaddi Winners List
India’s dominance began at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, where the men’s team won the first kabaddi gold medal. India then successfully defended the title at Hiroshima in 1994, Bangkok in 1998, Busan in 2002, Doha in 2006, Guangzhou in 2010 and Incheon in 2014.
Iran finally ended India’s men’s winning streak at Jakarta Palembang in 2018. India responded at Hangzhou, where the Games were held in 2023, by defeating Iran 33-29 in the men’s final.
In the women’s event, India won the first two gold medals in 2010 and 2014. Iran ended that run in 2018 before India returned to the top at Hangzhou with a narrow 26-25 victory over Chinese Taipei.
Asian Games Kabaddi Medal Table
India leads the all time Asian Games kabaddi medal table with 11 gold, one silver and one bronze medal, giving the country 13 medals overall.
Iran is second with two gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Pakistan has nine total medals, including two silver and seven bronze, while Bangladesh has seven medals with three silver and four bronze.
Chinese Taipei and Thailand have three medals each, while South Korea has two. Japan and Nepal have one bronze medal each.
From 2010 onwards, both losing semifinalists receive bronze medals, which has increased the number of medals awarded in each tournament.
India Kabaddi Asian Games Record
India’s kabaddi Asian Games record is built around an extraordinary period of dominance. The men’s team remained unbeaten at the Asian Games from the sport’s introduction in 1990 until their semifinal defeat against Iran in 2018.
India have won eight men’s gold medals and three women’s gold medals. Their success continued at Hangzhou, where both teams returned to the top of the podium.
The men’s final against Iran was decided 33-29, while the women’s team defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a dramatic contest. These results showed India’s ability to recover from the disappointment of 2018 and reclaim both titles.
Iran and Other Major Kabaddi Teams
Iran has emerged as India’s biggest challenger in Asian Games kabaddi. The country created history in 2018 by winning both men’s and women’s gold medals, defeating India in both decisive matches.
Pakistan and Bangladesh have also played important roles in the competition’s history. Pakistan has won medals in every men’s tournament since 1990, while Bangladesh claimed silver in three of the first four men’s editions.
Chinese Taipei and South Korea have also strengthened their presence in recent years. Chinese Taipei pushed India in the 2022 women’s final, while South Korea reached the men’s final in 2018.
The Asian Games kabaddi winners list reflects India’s long-standing dominance, but also shows how Iran and other nations have gradually challenged that position.
