{"id":2850,"date":"2026-09-20T23:50:54","date_gmt":"2026-09-20T18:20:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kabaddiarena.com\/en\/?p=2850"},"modified":"2026-09-20T23:50:56","modified_gmt":"2026-09-20T18:20:56","slug":"asian-games-2026-kabaddi-schedule-india-squad-timings-venue-watch-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kabaddiarena.com\/en\/asian-games-2026-kabaddi-schedule-india-squad-timings-venue-watch-live\/","title":{"rendered":"Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi: Schedule, India Squad, Timings, Venue and Where to Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi<\/strong> 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<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kabaddi competition will run from September 21 to September 26, 2026<\/strong>, giving fans six days of high-intensity action. All matches will be played at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture<\/strong>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a><\/strong> will also be an important test of how the new generation performs on the continental stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi: When and Where Will It Be Played?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Groups<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Indian men’s team has been placed in Group A<\/strong> alongside Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and hosts Japan<\/strong>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

India Men’s Group A<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Team<\/th>Group<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
India<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Bangladesh<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Republic of Korea<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Chinese Taipei<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Japan<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

India Women’s Group A<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Team<\/th>Group<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
India<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Iran<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Japan<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr>
Bangladesh<\/td>Group A<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Schedule and India Timings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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

Here is India’s kabaddi schedule for the group stage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date<\/th>Team<\/th>Opponent<\/th>Time (IST)<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
September 21<\/td>Men<\/td>Japan<\/td>9:45 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 21<\/td>Women<\/td>Bangladesh<\/td>4:15 PM<\/td><\/tr>
September 22<\/td>Men<\/td>Republic of Korea<\/td>7:15 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 23<\/td>Men<\/td>Bangladesh<\/td>9:45 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 23<\/td>Women<\/td>Iran<\/td>8:30 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 24<\/td>Men<\/td>Chinese Taipei<\/td>9:45 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 24<\/td>Women<\/td>Japan<\/td>4:15 PM<\/td><\/tr>
September 25<\/td>Men & Women<\/td>Semi-final 1<\/td>10:45 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 25<\/td>Men & Women<\/td>Semi-final 2<\/td>3:45 PM<\/td><\/tr>
September 26<\/td>Women<\/td>Final<\/td>9:30 AM<\/td><\/tr>
September 26<\/td>Men<\/td>Final<\/td>2:30 PM<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where can I watch Asian Games 2026 Live?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI)<\/strong>\u00a0holds the exclusive broadcast rights for the\u00a02026 Asian Games\u00a0in India.\u00a0 You can watch the Asian Games 2026 live streaming online<\/a><\/strong> on SonyLIV<\/strong> and on television through the Sony Sports Network.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TV Channels<\/p>\n\n\n\n