The Indian women’s kabaddi team successfully defended their crown by winning the gold medal at the Asian Beach Games 2026 in Sanya, China, on Monday. The men, on the other hand, had to settle for a second consecutive silver.
The six-member Indian women’s beach kabaddi team, led by Ritu, converted their slender 20-18 lead at the half-time to beat Sri Lanka 47-31 for a sixth consecutive title in as many editions.
In the semifinals, India defeated Bangladesh 50-31. Alongside skipper Ritu, Manisha Kumari, Simran Kamboj, Manpreet Kaur, Nikita and Nikita Chauhan were also part of the Indian kabaddi team.
India were clubbed with Sri Lanka and Syria in Group A for the women’s tournament. Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand and Chinese Taipei were in Group B. The top two teams from each group qualified for the semifinals. India beat Sri Lanka 44-32 and Syria 64-22 to make the semis.
At the last edition in 2016, India defeated Thailand in the final.
Meanwhile, the Indian men’s kabaddi team, which lost to Pakistan in the final of the previous edition, fell to Islamic Republic of Iran this year, losing the summit clash 44-31. The Indian team trailed Iran 23-11 at the halfway stage and never recovered in the second half.
The six-member team, which beat Pakistan 50-27 in the semifinals, was led by Brijendra Singh Choudhary. Jitendra Yadav, Yatharth Deshwal, Neeraj, Jai Bhagwan and Bhanu Pratap Tomar were also part of the squad.
India started their campaign in Group B in the men’s tournament where they were clubbed with Sri Lanka, Thailand and Chinese Taipei. Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Syria were in Group A. In the group stages, India beat Chinese Taipei 66-23, Thailand 52-32 and Sri Lanka 54-33 to qualify for the semis.
India sent a 31-member contingent for the Asian Beach Games 2026 to compete in four disciplines – 3×3 basketball, beach kabaddi, sailing and beach wrestling. The two medals in kabaddi on Monday were India’s first at this edition.
Organised by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the Asian Beach Games is a multi-sport event focused on beach and coastal disciplines. First held in Bali, Indonesia, in 2008, the Games showcase sports not always featured at the Asian Games.
The Asian Beach Games was last held in 2016 in Da Nang, Vietnam, and was initially scheduled to return in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a prolonged delay, with the event now resuming after a decade.
Pic credit: SAI Media
