Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi: Schedule, India Squad, Timings, Venue and Where to Watch

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi is set to be one of the major attractions for Indian kabaddi fans, with both the men’s and women’s teams beginning their campaigns in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on September 21. India enter the competition as the defending champions in both categories after winning the men’s and women’s gold medals at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

The kabaddi competition will run from September 21 to September 26, 2026, giving fans six days of high-intensity action. All matches will be played at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, near Nagoya. The tournament features 10 men’s teams and eight women’s teams, with the group stage followed by the semi-finals and gold-medal matches.

For Indian supporters, there is plenty to look forward to. The men’s squad has undergone a major generational change, while the women’s team has a mixture of experienced players and fresh talent. With the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) playing a major role in developing Indian players, the 2026 Asian Games will also be an important test of how the new generation performs on the continental stage.

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi: When and Where Will It Be Played?

Kabaddi at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 will be played from September 21 to September 26 at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The venue is located close to Nagoya and will host the complete kabaddi competition.

The sport has a long association with the Asian Games. Kabaddi first became part of the Asian Games programme in 1990 and has featured in every edition since then. The women’s competition was introduced in 2010, making the 2026 tournament the ninth consecutive Asian Games appearance for kabaddi.

The competition will begin with group-stage matches from September 21 to 24. The semi-finals are scheduled for September 25, while the men’s and women’s gold-medal matches will be played on September 26.

The format is straightforward. Teams will play the other sides in their respective groups once. The top two teams from each group will progress to the semi-finals. The winners of the two semi-finals will then meet in the final. There is no separate bronze-medal match because both losing semi-finalists receive bronze medals.

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Groups

The Indian men’s team has been placed in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and hosts Japan. Group B consists of Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand and Malaysia. This means India and Iran, one of the major forces in Asian kabaddi, cannot meet in the group stage and could face each other only from the semi-final stage onwards.

The women’s competition has eight teams divided into two groups. India are in Group A with Iran, Japan and Bangladesh, while Group B contains Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

The women’s group is particularly interesting because India will face Iran during the group stage. Chinese Taipei, meanwhile, will be one of the teams to watch after coming extremely close to defeating India in the women’s final at the previous Asian Games.

India Men’s Group A

India Women’s Group A

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Schedule and India Timings

Indian fans should keep a close eye on the timings because the schedule includes several early morning matches in Indian Standard Time (IST). The official Pro Kabaddi schedule lists India’s men’s opening match against Japan on September 21 at 9:45 AM IST, while the women’s team begins against Bangladesh at 4:15 PM IST.

Here is India’s kabaddi schedule for the group stage:

The timings are especially important for Indian viewers because the Japanese competition schedule does not always translate into conventional Indian viewing hours. The group stage will conclude on September 24, after which the semi-finalists will be decided.

Where can I watch Asian Games 2026 Live?

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) holds the exclusive broadcast rights for the 2026 Asian Games in India.  You can watch the Asian Games 2026 live streaming online on SonyLIV and on television through the Sony Sports Network.

TV Channels

• English/General: Sony Sports 1, Sony Sports 2, and Sony Sports 5.
• Hindi: Sony Sports 3.
• Regional (Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada): Sony Sports 4.
•  DD Sports also provides coverage via DD Free Dish.

Digital Streaming: Live streaming is available on the SonyLIV app and website. 

India Men’s Kabaddi Squad for Asian Games 2026

India have selected a 12-member men’s squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The team includes Pawan Sehrawat, Aslam Inamdar, Ashu Malik, Ayan Lohchab, Devank Dalal, Arjun Deshwal, Sunil Kumar, Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Sumit Sangwan, Gaurav Khatri and Ankit Jaglan.

The biggest talking point around this squad is the number of Asian Games debutants. Eight of the 12 players are set to make their Asian Games debut, showing just how quickly Indian kabaddi has developed a new generation of international-level players.

There is also plenty of recent PKL form in the squad. Ayan Lohchab and Devank Dalal finished as the top two raiders in PKL Season 12, while Arjun Deshwal and Ashu Malik provide further attacking options. On the defensive side, Sunil Kumar brings international experience, while Jaideep Dahiya and Gaurav Khatri enter the tournament after strong performances in the Pro Kabaddi League.

Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar are among the players bringing previous Asian Games experience. Sehrawat was part of India’s gold-medal-winning campaign in Hangzhou, while the presence of experienced players alongside several newcomers gives the squad an interesting mix.

India Women’s Kabaddi Squad for Asian Games 2026

The Indian women’s team will also have a 12-member squad as they look to retain the gold medal won in Hangzhou.

The squad features Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Sonali Shingate, Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Raj Rani and Nikita Kumari.

There is considerable experience in the group, particularly through players who were involved in India’s previous Asian Games campaign. Ritu Negi was part of the gold-medal-winning team in 2022, while Pushpa Rana and Sonali Shingate also bring experience from India’s recent international campaigns.

Another player who will attract plenty of attention is Sanju Devi, who was named MVP of the 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup. India defeated Chinese Taipei 35-28 in that final in Dhaka, giving the women’s team another major international success ahead of the Asian Games.

Interestingly, the women’s team will be led by Pushpa Rana, while Ritu Negi remains an important experienced presence. This gives India leadership experience combined with players who have already delivered on major international stages.

India’s Incredible Asian Games Kabaddi Record

India’s record in Asian Games kabaddi explains why expectations will be high in Aichi-Nagoya.

India have won 11 of the 13 kabaddi gold medals available at the Asian Games, including eight men’s gold medals and three women’s gold medals. The only editions in which India did not win both available titles were 2018, when the men’s team took bronze and the women’s team won silver. India returned to the top in 2022, winning gold in both events.

The women’s final in Hangzhou was particularly close. India defeated Chinese Taipei 26-25, with the match going down to the final stages. That experience will be fresh in the minds of the returning players when the team begins its title defence in Japan.

Also read: Women’s Kabaddi World Cup Winners List (2012–2025): India Rules

Which Teams Can Challenge India?

While India’s record makes them a historically dominant force, the competition has become stronger over the years.

Iran remains an important name in both men’s and women’s kabaddi. Iran are the only other country besides India to have won Asian Games gold in both categories. In the men’s competition, Iran are placed in Group B, so India could meet them only if both teams progress to the knockout stage.

The women’s group stage will be more demanding for India because Iran are directly in Group A. India and Iran are scheduled to meet on September 23.

Chinese Taipei will also attract attention in the women’s competition. Their narrow defeat against India in the 2022 final showed that the gap between the two teams can be extremely small on a given day. In the men’s event, Bangladesh and the Republic of Korea also have Asian Games kabaddi pedigree, while Japan will have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd.

What Makes Asian Games 2026 Important for Indian Kabaddi?

The 2026 Asian Games arrive at an interesting stage for Indian kabaddi. The growth of the Pro Kabaddi League has created a strong professional platform for players to compete against high-level opposition regularly. The men’s squad is a good example of this change, with several players coming into the Asian Games after impressive PKL campaigns.

At the same time, the large number of Asian Games debutants means India are entering the tournament with a noticeably different men’s squad from the one that won gold in Hangzhou.

The women’s side has comparatively more continuity, with experienced players returning alongside recent international performers. That balance could become important during the knockout stages, where one poor defensive sequence or one unsuccessful raid can change the entire match.

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi: What to Expect

The Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi competition promises six days of action, with India’s men’s and women’s teams both targeting another gold medal. The men’s campaign begins against hosts Japan on September 21, while the women’s team faces Bangladesh later the same day.

For India, the tournament is not just about defending two gold medals. It is also an opportunity for a new generation of kabaddi players to establish themselves at one of the biggest multi-sport events in Asia.

With experienced names, emerging PKL stars and strong recent international form, Indian kabaddi will enter Aichi-Nagoya with plenty of attention on it. The group stage will provide the first test, but the real pressure will come on September 25 and 26 when the semi-finals and finals decide who leaves Japan with the Asian Games gold medal.