Daijiworld Media Network - Nagoya

Nagoya, Sep 26: India defeated Iran 40-34 in the men's kabaddi final at the Asian Games on Saturday to retain the gold medal and claim their ninth continental title.

It was a double celebration for India as the women's team had earlier beaten Iran 37-34 in the final to secure the gold medal.

India have dominated kabaddi at the Asian Games, with the men's and women's teams winning gold medals in all but one edition of the continental showpiece.

The men's final was a closely fought contest, with the scores level at 20-20 at one stage. India then gained the upper hand and held on to secure another gold medal.

The Indian men's team had won seven successive Asian Games gold medals before Iran ended their run at the 2018 Jakarta Games, where India finished fourth. The team bounced back at the 2023 Hangzhou Games by reclaiming the title and successfully defended it in Nagoya.

In the women's final, India led Iran 22-16 at half-time. Iran fought back strongly after the break and won the second half 18-15, but India's first-half advantage proved enough as the defending champions held on for a thrilling 37-34 victory.

The women's team have now won the Asian Games gold medal in every edition except Jakarta 2018, where they settled for silver after losing to Iran.