Pakistan Kabaddi Team Miss an Asian Games Medal for the First Time

Pakistan's men's kabaddi team is out of the 2026 Asian Games without a medal. They beat Malaysia and Nepal, then lost to Thailand by 48-45 and to Iran by 51-30. Only the top two in Group B reached the semi-finals, and Pakistan finished third.

That ends a long run. The Pakistan Olympic Association's own medal record shows a Pakistan kabaddi medal at every Asian Games from Beijing 1990 to Hangzhou 2022. That is nine Games in a row. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 is the first time the team comes home empty-handed.

We read all four Pakistan match sheets in the official results system of the Aichi-Nagoya Games on 30 September 2026. The matches were played at Tokai Citizen Gymnasium in Tokai, Japan, from 21 to 24 September.

Pakistan kabaddi results at the Asian Games 2026

Pakistan won two and lost two in Group B. They beat Malaysia 65-22 and Nepal 58-43. Then Thailand beat them 48-45, and Iran beat them 51-30. Two wins were not enough, because Iran and Thailand both won more.

The first two games went as expected. Malaysia lost all four of their games, and Nepal won only once. Pakistan scored more than 55 points in both, which is a big margin in this sport.

Mudassar Ali captained the side in all four games, the official sheets show. He was also in the squad that won bronze in Hangzhou, according to the Pakistan Olympic Association's list of medallists.

The 48-45 loss to Thailand decided Pakistan's group

The Thailand game on 23 September was the one that mattered. Thailand won by three points. That result put Thailand one win ahead of Pakistan, and it meant Pakistan had to beat Iran the next day to have any chance.

Three points is a very small gap in kabaddi. One successful raid can be worth that much. So a single raid or tackle going the other way would likely have changed the result.

Iran were a different story. They won all four group games, and three of those by more than 30 points. Against Pakistan they led 20-14 at half-time, then scored 31 more in the second half.

Here is how Group B finished, counting wins from the official results:

Pakistan had won a kabaddi medal at nine Asian Games in a row

Pakistan won men's kabaddi medals at every Asian Games from 1990 to 2022, the Pakistan Olympic Association's record shows. That is two silvers and seven bronzes. The 2026 Games in Japan broke that run for the first time.

Kabaddi medals have mattered a lot to Pakistan. In Jakarta 2018, Pakistan won four medals in total, and kabaddi was one of them.

So this loss hurts the national count too. This year, Pakistan's medals have had to come from other sports. You can follow Pakistan's medal count as the Games go on.

India beat Iran for gold, Thailand took bronze

India won the men's kabaddi gold on 26 September, beating Iran 40-34 in the final. Thailand and Chinese Taipei, the two beaten semi-finalists, took bronze. Thailand, the team that knocked Pakistan out, won its medal after a 66-28 semi-final loss to India.

The Olympic Council of Asia said India trailed 18-17 at half-time in the final and then pulled away. It was India's second gold in a row. India's women also won gold, beating Iran 37-34 on the same day.

In the other semi-final, Iran beat Chinese Taipei 59-21. Chinese Taipei came through Group A behind India, with Bangladesh, Japan and Korea missing out.

One point stands out for Pakistan. There is no bronze play-off in kabaddi at the Asian Games, so both losing semi-finalists win bronze. That makes a third-place group finish especially costly: a semi-final place is itself a medal.

What comes next for Pakistan kabaddi

The Asian Games result closes Pakistan's kabaddi year on a low. We found no official statement on the result from the Pakistan Olympic Association or the team by 30 September. Any reasons given for the result so far come from reports, not official statements.

There was better news earlier in the year. The Pakistan Olympic Association reports that Pakistan won bronze in men's beach kabaddi at the Asian Beach Games in Sanya in 2026. That is a separate event, played on sand.

For fans who want to judge the team fairly, here is what the four games tell us:

1. Pakistan beat the two weaker sides in the group easily.
2. Pakistan lost the close game against Thailand by three points.
3. Pakistan were well beaten by Iran, the eventual silver medallists.
4. Thailand, who beat Pakistan by three, went on to win a medal.

Other Pakistan teams are still playing in Japan. The men's hockey semi-final against India is on 1 October, and the Pakistan hockey results show how they got there. The Asian Games 2026 schedule in Pakistan time lists the remaining events.

Common questions

Did Pakistan win a kabaddi medal at the Asian Games 2026?

No. Pakistan finished third in Group B and did not reach the semi-finals, which is where kabaddi medals are decided.

Who knocked Pakistan out of the kabaddi event?

Thailand and Iran. Thailand won 48-45 on 23 September and Iran won 51-30 on 24 September.

Is this the first time Pakistan missed a kabaddi medal at the Asian Games?

Yes. The Pakistan Olympic Association's record shows a Pakistan kabaddi medal at all nine Games from 1990 to 2022.

Who won the men's kabaddi gold at the Asian Games 2026?

India, who beat Iran 40-34 in the final on 26 September. Thailand and Chinese Taipei won bronze.

Who captained Pakistan's kabaddi team in 2026?

Mudassar Ali, according to the official match sheets for all four of Pakistan's games.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 30 September 2026. All scores, dates, times, the Group B standings, the captain and the medal winners are read in the official results system of the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Times are converted from Japan time, which is four hours ahead of Pakistan. The half-time score of the final and India's second straight title are from the Olympic Council of Asia's match report of 26 September. Pakistan's medals at earlier Games are read in the Pakistan Olympic Association's Asian Games record. We did not find an official statement on why the team lost.