From Cricket To Kabaddi: Female Athletes Powering India’s Gold Rush At Asian Games

India's women's kabaddi team won the gold medal on Saturday, September 26, after defeating Iran 37–34 in the final. This marks India's third gold medal at this edition’s continental tournament. Not to anyone's surprise, women have played a major role in all of India's gold medals this year so far.

So far, India have secured a total of 27 medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Games; two of the three gold medals involve women players and one came in a mixed event. Therefore, all of the three gold medals had some involvement by females.

The same balance between men and women is evident in the other positions on the podium. In the case of the silver medals, five have been won by men and five by women, one being obtained in a mixed event. Likewise, of the thirteen bronze medals earned by the country, five were won by men, five by women, and three in mixed events.

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India obtained their first gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 in cricket, following the Indian women's team's win against Sri Lanka in the final when the country first entered the competition.

India secured their second gold medal on Friday, 25 September, in the shooting event when Suruchi Inder Singh and Kamaljeet won the 10m air pistol mixed team event, setting a new Asian Record. The pair showed exceptional concentration and remarkable accuracy, remaining calm in a very competitive contest.

The kabaddi final between India and Iran was a highly tense and exciting contest that kept the spectators in a state of excitement right until it ended. Although Iran, as is well known, is a strong and powerful team, it continuously pressed the Indian attackers and defenders.

The small three-point difference shows how high the stakes were and how intense the competition was, yet it was India's solid defence in the final minutes that earned them the top position on the podium.

The fact that female athletes have achieved such outstanding results is no accident; it is the result of decades of persistent dedication, well-developed strategies, and increasing systemic support for women's sports.