Kabaddi is an interesting sport that is growing in popularity in an increasing number of countries beyond its main area of origin in South Asia and neighboring countries such as Iran. The International Kabaddi Federation already has 31 member countries on its rolls and is making efforts to extend this number to as many as 80 countries.
What has been particularly encouraging is the spread of kabaddi among women and their regular participation in international sporting events. This also strengthens the belief that when women are given opportunities to participate in more and more sports, while taking their cultural norms into consideration, the chances of greater participation and progress of women in sports increase in many countries.
The final of the women’s kabaddi event at the ongoing 2026 Asian Games in Japan was contested on September 26 between India and Iran. In a closely contested and well-played match that attracted considerable interest, the Indian team won the gold medal, while the Iranian team received the silver medal.
As an Indian, I am of course very happy that the Indian team won the gold medal. But I am also almost equally happy that, despite facing many difficulties, the brave Iranian team was able to reach the final and win the silver medal.
This team had to be assembled under extremely difficult wartime conditions and faced many challenges during its training. The team had to change its training location several times in order to practice in safer conditions. Moreover, many team members were under considerable stress because of concerns about the safety of their family members and other loved ones.
It is therefore very encouraging for the spirit of sport that these women players were able to overcome so many problems—not only to travel to the Asian Games, but also to reach the final after defeating several strong contenders. They also gave a spirited performance in the final, losing by the narrowest of margins and maintaining their chances of winning until the very last stage of the game. India won by a score of 37–34.
While all this is heartwarming for the spirit of sport and for the Asian Games, there was something even more beautiful about the women’s kabaddi final at these Games.
What I found most beautiful, in the spirit of sport, was that India took into consideration the difficulties faced by the Iranian team in training during wartime, as well as other related problems such as a lack of adequate experience in high-level matches. This was particularly important for the Iranian team because many of its members are young and relatively new, with limited international exposure.
In August, just before the Asian Games began, India hosted the Iranian women’s kabaddi team so that the players could have adequate training and match practice in conducive conditions before the major competition. I think it was wonderful to see one country host a major rival team and help it prepare for a prestigious international sporting event.
India is currently among the leading kabaddi teams, while Iran is a close rival and had, in fact, won the gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games after defeating India. Iran has also won medals at other major competitions. It was therefore particularly heartening to see the two leading rival teams sharing training and practice facilities shortly before the big event, in the true spirit of sport.
The Iranian team arrived in India on August 13 and trained at the Sports Authority of India facilities in Sonipat, near Delhi. In addition to their training, the Iranian players played practice matches against local teams as well as the Indian national team. Both sides benefited from the match practice and exposure. The Iranian coach and players spoke about the usefulness and value of the training and practice they received in India under conducive conditions.
Before concluding, it should also be mentioned that the men’s kabaddi final at the ongoing Asian Games was contested between India and Iran, with the same result: India won the gold medal and Iran received the silver. The members of the Iranian men’s team also deserve appreciation for their great effort in reaching the final and winning the silver medal despite the various difficulties they faced.
---
The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His website is bharatdogra.in and his YouTube channel is Bharat Dogra | Save Earth Campaign
Comments