India's top three defenders for men's kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games
India’s men’s kabaddi team will look to defenders Sunil Kumar, Sumit Sangwan and Jaideep Kuldeep Dahiya at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which run from September 19 to October 4, 2026, with the kabaddi competition scheduled at Tokai Citizens Gymnasium from September 21 to 26. The trio are identified as three of the key defenders for India’s title defence at the Games.
India enter the Asian Games as the defending champions and the most successful side in the competition’s history, having won gold in eight of the nine editions contested so far. Their only defeat came in 2018 when Iran won the title, and India reclaimed gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games. Balwan Singh returns as head coach after a decade-long hiatus with BC Ramesh serving as his deputy; Singh won 14 gold medals during his previous tenure and Ramesh is noted for modern PKL-winning strategies. Iran and a resurgent South Korea are named as principal challengers, and the tournament’s compact schedule of six matches in six days is expected to test fitness and mental fortitude.
Sunil Kumar anchors India’s defence and will captain the side at the Asian Games. After the 2024 season he became the player with the most victories in the league, surpassing Fazel Atrachali, and has been pivotal for teams such as Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba. He ranks third in all-time tackle points with 442 and third in successful tackles with 407, behind Fazel Atrachali and Surjeet Singh, and sits fourth in all-time Super Tackles with 35. His leadership will be tested in a dressing room that includes captains from various Pro Kabaddi League teams.
Sumit Sangwan operates as a left corner defender and has been a consistent anchor for the UP Yoddhas since his debut in PKL Season 7, where he won the New Young Player of the Season award. In his rookie season he finished second on the defenders’ leaderboard with 77 tackle points. He is tied for third in all-time High 5s with 29, alongside Nitesh Kumar, and averages nearly 2.86 tackle points per match with a 47% success rate.
Jaideep Kuldeep Dahiya, 24, produced 13 super tackles in PKL Season 12 and led the league in High 5s with 7. He accumulated 68 tackle points to finish second overall in that season and recorded 55 successful tackles. As captain of the Haryana Steelers he led them to their maiden PKL title in Season 11.
India’s defensive trio — Sunil Kumar, Sumit Sangwan and Jaideep Kuldeep Dahiya — are identified as central to the team’s bid for gold at the Asian Games, and the kabaddi competition will be contested from September 21 to 26 at Tokai Citizens Gymnasium.
