Asian Games 2026: Indian kabaddi teams eye final berths
India's kabaddi teams are seeking places in the finals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on September 25, 2026, as the country continues to compete across multiple disciplines at the event.
India opened its athletics programme with two medals on the previous day, the mixed 4x400m relay taking silver and Seema Kumari winning bronze in the women's 10,000m, which provided the country's first athletics medal at these Games. Seram Nirupama Devi is listed as a contender in the women's 64kg weightlifting event. In shooting, APS Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil and Niraj Kumar are set to compete in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions individual and team events. India has accumulated 17 medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games so far: one gold, seven silver and nine bronze.
China sits atop the Games medal table with 80 gold, 30 silver and 20 bronze for a total of 130 medals. Japan occupies second place with 20 gold, 34 silver and 37 bronze, totaling 91 medals. South Korea is third with 10 gold, 12 silver and 28 bronze, making 50 medals in all. Kazakhstan (8 gold, 8 silver, 9 bronze, total 25) and Uzbekistan (6 gold, 12 silver, 8 bronze, total 26) follow.
The next tier of the standings lists Iran with six gold, 10 silver and four bronze (20 total), Thailand on five gold, four silver and seven bronze (16), and Hong Kong with four gold, 10 silver and nine bronze (23). DPR Korea has three gold, three silver and three bronze (9), while Bahrain holds three gold and two silver (5).
On the shooting range, the Naruka-Parinaaz duo secured a bronze in the mixed skeet event for India, while the country's pistol shooters failed to reach any finals or win medals. The mixed 4x400m relay silver and Seema Kumari's bronze in the 10,000m were noted as India's early athletics podiums at the Games.
In wrestling administration, Greco-Roman wrestler Deepak (67kg) was removed from the Indian squad after testing positive for the banned substance Clomifene; he has approached the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) seeking an expedited hearing of his case.
With kabaddi now in contention for final spots, India will continue to field athletes across athletics, shooting and weightlifting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games while the NADA process and remaining event schedules unfold.
