Aichi-Nagoya, Japan: India produced a memorable performance at the Asian Games 2026 on September 26, winning gold medals in both men's and women's kabaddi and strengthening its position on the medal table.

The Indian women's kabaddi team defeated Iran in a thrilling final before the men's team also overcame Iran to retain its Asian Games title. Along with strong performances in athletics, shooting and squash, the day's results pushed India's medal tally to 28 medals — 4 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze. India is currently placed 10th in the overall medal standings in the latest available table.

India Wins Women's Kabaddi Gold

India's women's kabaddi team successfully defended its Asian Games title by defeating Iran in the final.

The Indian team won the closely fought contest 37-34, completing an unbeaten campaign and securing India's fourth women's kabaddi gold at the Asian Games.

The victory added India's third gold medal of the Games at that stage and underlined the country's continued strength in women's kabaddi.

Men's Kabaddi Team Retains Gold

India's men's kabaddi team then completed a memorable golden double by defeating Iran 40-34 in the final.

The victory allowed India to retain the men's kabaddi title after its gold-medal success at the Hangzhou Asian Games. It was India's ninth men's kabaddi gold medal across the Asian Games editions in which the event has been contested.

India's men's team had won the kabaddi gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games after missing out on gold in Jakarta in 2018.

Sawan Barwal Wins Historic Marathon Silver

Athletics also delivered a major milestone for India on September 26.

Sawan Barwal won silver in the men's marathon, clocking 2:11:37. The performance was reported as a personal best and a new national record.

Barwal's medal ended India's 44-year wait for a men's marathon medal at the Asian Games, making it one of the standout achievements of India's athletics campaign in Aichi-Nagoya.

Shooting Adds Another Medal

India continued its strong showing in shooting with Ashi Chouksey, Tilottama Sen and Vidarsa Vinod winning silver in the women's 50m rifle 3 positions team event.

The Indian shooting contingent has been one of the country's important medal contributors during the Games, with medals coming from air rifle, air pistol and skeet events.

Squash Produces More Indian Medal Opportunities

Indian squash also remained in focus.

Anahat Singh reached the women's singles final after defeating Japan's Satomi Watanabe in a dramatic five-game semifinal. Anahat came back from two games down to win 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 11-6, 11-3.

In the men's singles, Abhay Singh defeated Pakistan's Muhammad Irfan 3-0 to reach the final.

India also secured a bronze medal in mixed doubles through Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar.

Asian Games 2026 Latest Medal Tally

According to the latest available medal table on September 26, India's tally stands at:

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	105	39	25	169
2	Japan	30	44	46	120
3	South Korea	13	20	36	69
4	Uzbekistan	8	17	9	34
5	Kazakhstan	8	8	18	34
6	Thailand	7	6	9	22
7	Iran	6	13	7	26
8	Bahrain	5	2	2	9
9	Hong Kong, China	4	11	13	28
10	India	4	11	13	28

Medal standings are live and can change as events conclude.

India's Gold Medal Winners So Far

India's four gold medals have come from:

• Women's Cricket – Gold
• Mixed Team 10m Air Pistol – Kamaljeet and Suruchi Singh
• Women's Kabaddi – Gold
• Men's Kabaddi – Gold

India's Strong Showing Across Sports

India's medal campaign has extended across several disciplines, including:

• Shooting
• Athletics
• Cricket
• Kabaddi
• Squash
• Wushu
• Rowing
• Table tennis
• Weightlifting
• Soft tennis
• Other team and individual events

The country's performance in kabaddi has been particularly significant, with both men's and women's teams securing gold against Iran on the same day.

What to Watch Next

The Asian Games will continue until October 4, 2026, giving Indian athletes several more opportunities to add to the country's medal tally.

Squash finals, athletics, archery, badminton, shooting, hockey and other disciplines remain important events for India's campaign in the coming days. Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh have already reached their respective squash singles finals, creating further medal opportunities for India.

India had won a record 107 medals at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, including 28 gold, 38 silver and 41 bronze. The ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Games provide another opportunity for Indian athletes to build on that performance.

Conclusion

September 26 turned into one of India's most successful days at the Asian Games 2026. The double kabaddi gold, Sawan Barwal's historic marathon silver, shooting medals and strong squash performances significantly boosted India's campaign.

With 28 medals — 4 gold, 11 silver and 13 bronze — in the latest available standings, India will now look to add more medals as the Aichi-Nagoya Games enter their next phase.