India beat Iran again in kabaddi final that felt like a rematch

India beat Iran again in kabaddi final that felt like a rematch A fierce, needle-filled final between two old rivals concluded with India's second kabaddi gold of these Asian Games, and a hug once it was over.

Key points

• 5 min read Nagoya Updated: Sep 27, 2026 06: 33 AM IST.
• The 40-33 victory offered them their second kabaddi gold of the Asian Games and fourth overall, pushing them into the top 10 of the medal table.
• The 16-year-old Nagoya resident had discovered kabaddi through the pages of Burning Kabaddi, the award-winning Japanese graphic novel.
• Hiramatsu Hisamoto had come to watch manga come alive.

Nagoya, September 26 (ANI): India's kabaddi team clinches gold medal after a thrilling battle against Iran with a stellar 40-34 victory in the finals at the Asian Games 2026, in Nagoya on Saturday. (ANI Photo). Hiramatsu Hisamoto had come to watch manga come alive.

For context, the 16-year-old Nagoya resident had discovered kabaddi through the pages of Burning Kabaddi, the award-winning Japanese graphic novel. After watching India and Iran turn the mat into a blur of flying limbs, twisting bodies and desperate escapes, he left with a new urge, to try kabaddi himself, forty minutes afterwards.

It was India who left with the gold. The 40-33 victory offered them their second kabaddi gold of the Asian Games and fourth overall, pushing them into the top 10 of the medal table. For those who had discovered the sport through drawings, the live version was considerably more visceral: raiders twisting away from ankle holds, defenders launching themselves at legs, a hand stretching for the line while the rest of the body seemed to be travelling in another direction. At times, the acrobatics looked straight out of manga. "I feel like trying it now, " remarked Konsei Kani.

For now, india beat Iran again in kabaddi final that felt like a rematch remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.