Kabaddi Returns to Asian Games 2026: India Enter as Gold Favourites in Aichi-Nagoya

Kabaddi Asian Games 2026 action gets underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with India entering both the men’s and women’s tournaments as heavy gold-medal favourites. The competition, which began on September 28, marks kabaddi’s return to the Asian Games program after a notable absence.

Kabaddi Asian Games 2026: India’s Squad

India’s roster for this edition is stacked with current Pro Kabaddi League standouts, giving the squad a blend of proven domestic form and international big-match experience. India remains the most decorated nation in Asian Games kabaddi history, and expectations at home are, unsurprisingly, sky high once again.

Kabaddi’s return to the Games program after a period away is a significant boost for the sport’s international profile, and India’s dominance in the discipline makes this a rare near-certain medal opportunity within a broader Asian Games campaign where competition is typically far tougher.

PKL Auction Buzz Building in Parallel

Alongside the Asian Games campaign, buzz is also building around the Pro Kabaddi League Season 13 auction, which is reported likely to take place in mid-October 2026. Retained and sold player lists from that auction will shape domestic squads for months to come, and several current Asian Games squad members are expected to feature prominently once bidding begins.

The overlap between the Asian Games campaign and the upcoming PKL auction window means kabaddi is enjoying an unusually high profile moment in India right now, with fans following both storylines closely at the same time.

What Success Would Mean

A dominant showing at these Games would further cement kabaddi’s place as one of India’s most reliable sources of multi-sport-event medals, alongside disciplines like shooting and wrestling. Given the strength of India’s roster and its historical dominance in the sport, a gold medal finish across both men’s and women’s competitions would meet, rather than exceed, realistic expectations back home.

For a sport that originated in South Asia and has struggled at times to gain international traction outside the subcontinent, moments like these Asian Games matter enormously for kabaddi’s long-term growth story. For more kabaddi coverage, check out TechnoSports’ Kabaddi coverage.

Expect India’s opening matches to draw significant attention from fans back home eager to see the squad continue the country’s long-standing dominance in the sport on the biggest multi-sport stage in Asia.

India’s dominance in kabaddi at the Asian level has been built over decades of grassroots investment in the sport, particularly in states like Haryana, Punjab, and Maharashtra where the game enjoys massive grassroots popularity.

The rise of the Pro Kabaddi League has also professionalised player fitness and tactics considerably, closing the gap that once existed between India’s raiders and defenders and the rest of the continent’s best sides.

Iran has traditionally been India’s toughest rival in men’s kabaddi at major tournaments, and this year’s competition should be no different, with both nations expected to meet at some stage of the knockout rounds.

Coaches and selectors will be watching closely for standout individual performances that could carry over into strong PKL auction valuations just weeks later, adding extra incentive for players to perform on this stage.

Women’s kabaddi has also grown rapidly in competitiveness over the last decade, and India’s squad in that event carries similarly high expectations from fans back home.

Ticket demand and local broadcast interest for kabaddi matches at these Games has reportedly been strong, another sign of how far the sport’s profile has come on the international stage.

As the tournament progresses, expect India’s kabaddi squads to remain among the country’s most watched teams across the entire Asian Games program.

Source: Pro Kabaddi League