Kabaddi has been one of the most important team sports at the Asian Games for decades. The men’s kabaddi competition made its official medal debut at the Beijing Asian Games in 1990, while the women’s event was added at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010. Since then, India have been the dominant force, winning gold medals in almost every edition.
The Asian Games kabaddi winners list shows India’s remarkable record in the sport. The only exception came at the Jakarta Palembang Asian Games in 2018, when Iran created history by winning gold medals in both the men’s and women’s competitions.
Men’s Asian Games Kabaddi Gold Medal Winners
India won the first men’s kabaddi gold medal at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing. The competition was played in a round-robin format, with Bangladesh taking silver and Pakistan winning bronze.
India continued their dominance at Hiroshima 1994, Bangkok 1998 and Busan 2002. The Indian team once again finished at the top in Doha 2006, where they defeated Pakistan 35-23 in the gold medal match.
At the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games, India defeated Iran 37-20 to win another gold medal. Four years later in Incheon, India secured a narrow 27-25 victory over Iran to remain champions.
India’s seven-title winning streak ended at Jakarta-Palembang 2018, when Iran defeated them in the semi-finals. Iran then beat South Korea 26–16 in the final to win their first men’s Asian Games kabaddi gold. India returned to the top at the Hangzhou Asian Games, held in 2023 after being delayed by the COVID 19 pandemic. India defeated Iran 33-29 to reclaim the gold medal.
Women’s Asian Games Kabaddi Gold Medal Winners
The women’s kabaddi competition made its Asian Games debut in Guangzhou in 2010. India immediately established themselves as the leading team, defeating Thailand 28-14 in the final.
India successfully defended their title at Incheon 2014 with a 31-21 victory over Iran. However, Iran stopped India’s run in 2018 by defeating them 27-24 in the Jakarta Palembang final.
India bounced back at the Hangzhou Games in 2023. They defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25 in a closely fought final to win another women’s gold medal.
The Asian Games kabaddi gold medal winners list therefore has India at the top in both men’s and women’s competitions, with Iran being the only country to break India’s dominance.
India Kabaddi Asian Games Gold Medals
India have won 11 Asian Games kabaddi gold medals according to the provided all-time medal tally. They have also collected one silver and one bronze, giving them 13 total medals.
Iran are second with two gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals. Bangladesh have won seven medals without a gold, while Pakistan have nine medals, including two silver and seven bronze.
The Asian Games have therefore been a major stage for Indian kabaddi. With India continuing to invest in the sport and produce talented players through domestic competitions, their impressive record could grow further in future editions.
Asian Games Kabaddi Winners List
The complete men’s gold medal winners are India in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022, with Iran winning in 2018. In the women’s event, India won in 2010, 2014 and 2022, while Iran claimed the 2018 title.
The 2026 Asian Games in Aichi Nagoya will provide another opportunity for India to add to its remarkable kabaddi history. Both the men’s and women’s Indian teams will enter the competition hoping to return home with gold medals and continue the country’s long-standing dominance.
