India Kabaddi Teams and Fixtures for Asian Games 2026: Full Men’s and Women’s Squads, Schedule and Groups

India will head to the 20th Asian Games 2026 with two strong kabaddi squads as the men’s and women’s teams look to challenge for medals in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Kabaddi competition at the Asian Games will be held from September 21 to September 26, with both Indian teams beginning their campaigns in the group stage before the semifinals on September 25 and the gold medal matches on September 26.

The Indian men’s team has been drawn in Group A alongside Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and hosts Japan. The women’s team, meanwhile, is part of Group A with Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan and Bangladesh.

With kabaddi returning as one of India’s strongest medal prospects at the continental event, both squads feature a combination of experienced players and younger talent across raiding, defending and all-round positions.

The 12-member Indian men’s squad will be led by an experienced group of raiders and defenders.

Pawan Sehrawat and Ashu Malik are among the leading raiders in the squad, with the pair expected to carry a significant share of India’s attacking responsibility. Devank Dalal and Arjun Deshwal provide further depth in the raiding department.

The all-rounder positions are occupied by Ayan Lohchab, Sunil Kumar and Jaideep Dahiya, giving India flexibility in different match situations.

India’s defence features a strong mix of corners and cover defenders. Sumit Sangwan has been named as a left corner, while Rahul Sethpal will operate at right corner. Ankit Jaglan has been selected for the left corner role and Gaurav Khatri completes the specialist corner combination at right corner.

Naveen Kumar has also been named in the squad.

The men’s team will open its campaign against Japan on September 21 in the evening session, starting from 12:30 PM IST. Their next match will be against Republic of Korea on September 22 at 6:00 AM IST.

India will face Bangladesh on September 23 at 6:00 AM IST before concluding the group stage against Chinese Taipei on September 24 at the same time.

The men’s semifinals are scheduled for September 25 at 9:30 AM IST and 2:30 PM IST. The gold medal match will take place on September 26 at 2:30 PM IST.

India Women’s Kabaddi Team for Asian Games 2026

India’s women’s kabaddi squad also features a 12-member contingent, with a balanced group of established performers and emerging talent. The squad includes Pushpa Rana, Sonali Shingate, Sanju, Pooja, Ritu Negi, Ritu Shirole, Jyoti, Pinki, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Kumari, Rajrani and Nikita.

India have been placed in Group A, where they will face three challenging opponents in Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan and Bangladesh. The women’s team begins its Asian Games campaign against Bangladesh on September 21 at 12:30 PM IST. India will then take on Islamic Republic of Iran on September 22 in the evening session.

Their third group-stage match will be against Japan on September 23 at 12:30 PM IST.

The top teams from the group-stage competition will progress to the knockout rounds, with the women’s semifinals scheduled for September 25. The gold medal match will be played on September 26 at 9:30 AM IST.

India’s Road to the Knockout Stage

For the men’s competition, Group A features India, Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei and Japan. Group B consists of Nepal, Thailand, Pakistan, Malaysia and Islamic Republic of Iran.

India’s Men’s Kabaddi Road to Asian Games 2026: Schedule, Opponents and Lessons from Hangzhou

India’s men will have a demanding four-match group stage in as many days, making squad rotation and recovery important factors. The early morning matches against Republic of Korea, Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei will also test the team’s ability to quickly adapt to the competition schedule.

The women’s competition is divided into two groups. Along with India, Group A includes Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan and Bangladesh. Group B consists of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Nepal.

Iran and Japan are likely to provide India’s biggest group-stage challenges, particularly with qualification for the semifinals at stake.

The kabaddi competition will be held at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium in Japan. Both the men’s and women’s tournaments will follow an intense six-day schedule, beginning with group-stage action before moving into the semifinals and medal matches.

For India, kabaddi remains one of the country’s traditional strengths at the Asian Games. The focus in Aichi-Nagoya will be on converting that pedigree into another strong medal-winning campaign. With Pawan Sehrawat, Ashu Malik and Arjun Deshwal among the attacking options in the men’s team, and a balanced women’s squad ready for a difficult group-stage campaign, India will enter the Asian Games with expectations high.

The road to the medals begins on September 21, with both Indian teams aiming to navigate their respective groups and set up a place in the knockout rounds.

India Men’s Kabaddi Team

Pawan Sehrawat, Ashu Malik, Naveen Kumar, Devank Dalal, Arjun Deshwal, Ayan Lohchab, Sunil Kumar, Jaideep Dahiya, Sumit Sangwan, Rahul Sethpal, Ankit Jaglan and Gaurav Khatri.

India Women’s Kabaddi Team

Pushpa Rana, Sonali Shingate, Sanju, Pooja, Ritu Negi, Ritu Shirole, Jyoti, Pinki, Manisha Kumari, Bhavna Kumari, Rajrani and Nikita.