Iran beat India to win gold in men's kabaddi at Asian Beach Games 2026, celebrate with national flag amid West Asia war

Iran defeated India to win the gold medal in the men's kabaddi event at the Asian Beach Games 2026 on Monday. The Iranian players then celebrated with their national flag to make for a wholesome moment.

It was another disappointing result for the Indian men's kabaddi team who had lost the gold at the previous edition of the event against Pakistan. Iran's win also marked the rise of the Islamic Republic in kabaddi as they are consistently challenging and even upstaging India in final of international events.

Iran's victory is also a silver lining for the country which had been heavily destroyed during the recent war against the United States and Israel.

India beat Pakistan but stumble against Iran

India, under the leadership of Brijendra Singh Choudhary, dominated the early part of the event and defeated defending champions Pakistan at the semifinal stage.

India defeated Chinese Taipei 66-23, Thailand 52-32 and Sri Lanka 54-33 to qualify for the semifinals where they were paired against Pakistan. In the semifinal, India registered a 50-27 victory over Pakistan to storm into the final.

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Iran too had a dominant run in the tournament and the victory over heavyweights India further established them as the emerging power in the sports of kabaddi. The ecstatic Iranian team celebrated joyfully, wrapped in their national flag after winning the event.

Meanwhile, the Indian women’s kabaddi team successfully defended its crown at the event with a 47-31 over Sri Lanka. This is now the sixth consecutive title for Indian women in Asian Beach Games in as many editions.

The two medals in kabaddi on Monday were India’s first at this edition. For Iran, the gold in kabaddi was their second at the Games, adding to the impressive performance of Hassan Ajami Bakhtiarvand, who previously secured a gold in shot put.