The Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Schedule runs from September 21 to September 26, 2026, at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Kabaddi returns for its ninth straight Asian Games appearance. The men’s competition has 10 teams, while the women’s event has 8 teams.
Both competitions begin with a group stage before moving into the semi-finals and gold medal matches.
India enter Aichi-Nagoya 2026 as the defending champions in both events. The men won gold at Hangzhou 2022, while the women also finished on top after beating Chinese Taipei 26-25 in the final.
The group stage runs from September 21 to 24. Both men’s and women’s semi-finals are scheduled for September 25. The two gold medal matches take place on September 26.
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Schedule at a Glance
The Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi schedule covers the men’s and women’s events. Get the match dates, venues and key schedule details in one place.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | Kabaddi at Asian Games 2026 |
| Asian Games Edition | 20th |
| Host | Aichi-Nagoya, Japan |
| Kabaddi Dates | September 21 to 26, 2026 |
| Venue | Tokai Citizen Gymnasium |
| Men’s Teams | 10 |
| Women’s Teams | 8 |
| Men’s Groups | 2 groups of 5 |
| Women’s Groups | 2 groups of 4 |
| Group Stage | September 21 to 24 |
| Semi-finals | September 25 |
| Gold Medal Matches | September 26 |
| Bronze Medal Match | Not held |
| Time Difference | Japan is 3 hours 30 minutes ahead of India |
| India Streaming | SonyLIV |
| India TV Coverage | Sony Sports Network |
There are 38 kabaddi matches in total across the men’s and women’s events.
The men’s competition has 20 group matches, two semi-finals and one final. The women’s competition has 12 group matches, two semi-finals and one final.
Much of India’s dominance at the Asian Games can be traced back to the professional structure that develops and sharpens its players year after year. Most of the athletes representing the country on the continental stage are regulars in the domestic kabaddi league in India, where they compete against top international raiders and defenders in a high-pressure franchise environment. This constant exposure to elite competition is a key reason India continues to set the standard in kabaddi across Asia.
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Key Dates
| Date | Stage |
|---|---|
| September 21 | Group Stage Day 1 |
| September 22 | Group Stage Day 2 |
| September 23 | Group Stage Day 3 |
| September 24 | Group Stage Day 4 |
| September 25 | Men’s and Women’s Semi-finals |
| September 26 | Men’s and Women’s Gold Medal Matches |
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Kabaddi Groups
The 10 men’s teams are divided into two groups of five.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | Iran |
| Japan | Pakistan |
| Bangladesh | Nepal |
| Republic of Korea | Thailand |
| Chinese Taipei | Malaysia |
India is in Group A with hosts Japan, Bangladesh, Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei.
Iran and Pakistan are both in Group B. This keeps India and Iran apart during the league stage.
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Kabaddi Groups
Eight women’s teams are split into two groups of four.
| Group A | Group B |
|---|---|
| India | Chinese Taipei |
| Iran | Thailand |
| Japan | Sri Lanka |
| Bangladesh | Nepal |
India and Iran are in the same women’s group.
Chinese Taipei, which lost the Hangzhou 2022 final to India by one point, is in Group B.
Asian Games 2026 Men’s Kabaddi Full Schedule
All timings below are in Indian Standard Time (IST).
Here is the complete schedule organized into a single table:
| Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2026 | 6:00 AM | Bangladesh vs Republic of Korea |
| 7:15 AM | Nepal vs Thailand | |
| 9:45 AM | Japan vs India | |
| 12:30 PM | Pakistan vs Malaysia | |
| 3:00 PM | Bangladesh vs Chinese Taipei | |
| September 22, 2026 | 6:00 AM | Nepal vs Pakistan |
| 7:15 AM | Republic of Korea vs India | |
| 9:45 AM | Thailand vs Malaysia | |
| 12:30 PM | Bangladesh vs Japan | |
| 3:00 PM | Nepal vs Iran | |
| September 23, 2026 | 6:00 AM | Republic of Korea vs Chinese Taipei |
| 7:15 AM | Malaysia vs Iran | |
| 9:45 AM | Bangladesh vs India | |
| 12:30 PM | Thailand vs Pakistan | |
| 3:00 PM | Chinese Taipei vs Japan | |
| September 24, 2026 | 6:00 AM | Thailand vs Iran |
| 7:15 AM | Republic of Korea vs Japan | |
| 9:45 AM | Chinese Taipei vs India | |
| 12:30 PM | Nepal vs Malaysia | |
| 3:00 PM | Pakistan vs Iran |
India finishes the men’s group stage against Chinese Taipei. Iran and Pakistan close Group B later in the day.
Asian Games 2026 Women’s Kabaddi Full Schedule
India close their women’s group campaign against hosts Japan.
Here is the schedule for the women’s competition organized into a single table:
| Date | Time | Match |
|---|---|---|
| September 21, 2026 | 8:30 AM | Iran vs Japan |
| 1:45 PM | Sri Lanka vs Thailand | |
| 4:15 PM | Bangladesh vs India | |
| September 22, 2026 | 8:30 AM | Thailand vs Nepal |
| 1:45 PM | Iran vs Bangladesh | |
| 4:15 PM | Sri Lanka vs Chinese Taipei | |
| September 23, 2026 | 8:30 AM | Iran vs India |
| 1:45 PM | Japan vs Bangladesh | |
| 4:15 PM | Chinese Taipei vs Nepal | |
| September 24, 2026 | 8:30 AM | Thailand vs Chinese Taipei |
| 1:45 PM | Sri Lanka vs Nepal | |
| 4:15 PM | Japan vs India |
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Semi-final Schedule
The top two teams from each group qualify for the semi-finals.
Both men’s and women’s semi-finals are scheduled for September 25.
| Time | Match |
|---|---|
| 9:30 AM | Women’s Semi-final 1 |
| 10:45 AM | Men’s Semi-final 1 |
| 2:30 PM | Women’s Semi-final 2 |
| 3:45 PM | Men’s Semi-final 2 |
The exact teams will be known after the group stage ends on September 24.
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Final Schedule
Both gold medal matches take place on September 26, 2026.
| Time | Match |
|---|---|
| 9:30 AM | Women’s Gold Medal Match |
| 2:30 PM | Men’s Gold Medal Match |
There is no separate bronze medal match.
Both teams that lose in the semi-finals receive bronze medals.
India Kabaddi Schedule at Asian Games 2026
India are defending champions in both the men’s and women’s events.
India Men’s Kabaddi Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
| September 21 | Japan | 9:45 AM IST |
| September 22 | Republic of Korea | 7:15 AM IST |
| September 23 | Bangladesh | 9:45 AM IST |
| September 24 | Chinese Taipei | 9:45 AM IST |
| September 25 | Semi-final, if qualified | 10:45 AM or 3:45 PM IST |
| September 26 | Final, if qualified | 2:30 PM IST |
India’s men opened their campaign with a 49-24 win over Japan on September 21.
Their next group match is against the Republic of Korea.
India Women’s Kabaddi Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
|---|---|---|
| September 21 | Bangladesh | 4:15 PM IST |
| September 23 | Iran | 8:30 AM IST |
| September 24 | Japan | 4:15 PM IST |
| September 25 | Semi-final, if qualified | 9:30 AM or 2:30 PM IST |
| September 26 | Final, if qualified | 9:30 AM IST |
India’s women have three group matches because Group A has four teams.
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Schedule in Japan Time
Japan Standard Time is 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of IST.
| IST | Japan Time |
|---|---|
| 6:00 AM | 9:30 AM |
| 7:15 AM | 10:45 AM |
| 8:30 AM | 12:00 PM |
| 9:30 AM | 1:00 PM |
| 9:45 AM | 1:15 PM |
| 10:45 AM | 2:15 PM |
| 12:30 PM | 4:00 PM |
| 1:45 PM | 5:15 PM |
| 2:30 PM | 6:00 PM |
| 3:00 PM | 6:30 PM |
| 3:45 PM | 7:15 PM |
| 4:15 PM | 7:45 PM |
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Format
The men’s and women’s competitions use the same basic format.
Group Stage
Each team plays every other team in its group once.
The men have two groups of five, so every men’s team plays four group matches.
The women have two groups of four, so every women’s team plays three group matches.
Semi-finals
The top two teams from each group qualify.
The four qualifiers play cross-group semi-finals.
Final
The two semi-final winners play for gold. Both losing semi-finalists receive bronze medals.
That is why the competition does not have a third-place match.
How Many Kabaddi Matches Are at Asian Games 2026?
| Competition | Group Matches | Semi-finals | Final | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men | 20 | 2 | 1 | 23 |
| Women | 12 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| Total | 32 | 4 | 2 | 38 |
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Venue
All kabaddi matches are being played at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture.
| Venue Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Tokai Citizen Gymnasium |
| Prefecture | Aichi |
| Country | Japan |
| Competition Dates | September 21 to 26 |
| Events | Men’s and Women’s Kabaddi |
Using one venue allows the men’s and women’s matches to run back-to-back across morning and evening sessions.
India Men’s Kabaddi Squad for Asian Games 2026
India has named a 12-player men’s squad.
The squad is led by Sunil Kumar as captain, with Pawan Sehrawat serving as the vice-captain.
The complete 12-player roster features Aslam Inamdar, Ashu Malik, Ayan Lohchab, Devank Dalal, Arjun Deshwal, Jaideep Dahiya, Rahul Sethpal, Sumit Sangwan, Gaurav Khatri, and Ankit Jaglan.
India Women’s Kabaddi Squad for Asian Games 2026
India’s women also have a 12-player squad.
The squad is led by Pushpa Rana as captain, with Sonali Shingate serving as the vice-captain. Notably, Ritu Negi, who successfully led India to a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, remains an integral part of the team.
The complete roster is rounded out by Sanju Devi, Pooja Kajla, Ritu Sheoran, Jyoti Thakur, Pinki Roy, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Thakur, Raj Rani, and Nikita Kumari.
India’s Kabaddi Record at the Asian Games
India has won 11 Asian Games kabaddi gold medals so far.
| Asian Games | India Men | India Women |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Gold | Event not held |
| 1994 | Gold | Event not held |
| 1998 | Gold | Event not held |
| 2002 | Gold | Event not held |
| 2006 | Gold | Event not held |
| 2010 | Gold | Gold |
| 2014 | Gold | Gold |
| 2018 | Bronze | Silver |
| 2022 | Gold | Gold |
The men have won eight, and the women have won three.
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Live Streaming in India
Indian viewers can watch Asian Games 2026 coverage on SonyLIV. SonyLIV is carrying live Asian Games streams, including kabaddi matches.
Television coverage is available through the Sony Sports Network.
Because several Asian Games 2026 events run at the same time, the exact Sony Sports channel can change from one session to another.
How to Watch Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi on SonyLIV
- Open the SonyLIV app or website.
- Go to the Sports section.
- Select the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
- Look for Kabaddi.
- Select the live men’s or women’s match.
- Check the teams and start time before opening the stream.
Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi is scheduled between September 21 and 26
The Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Schedule runs from September 21 to 26 at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture.
India’s men are in Group A with Japan, Bangladesh, the Republic of Korea and Chinese Taipei.
India’s women share Group A with Iran, Japan and Bangladesh.
The men began their title defence with a 49-24 win over Japan on September 21.
The women open against Bangladesh on the same day before facing Iran and Japan.
The top two teams from every group qualify for the semi-finals on September 25.
The women’s gold medal match is scheduled for 9:30 AM IST on September 26, followed by the men’s final at 2:30 PM IST.
