List of captains of all men’s kabaddi teams at Asian Games 2026

10 nations will battle for the Asian Games gold medal as the event starts on September 21.

The Kabaddi event at the Asian Games 2026 will be one of the most talked-about events in India as the Indian team looks to defend their gold medal. With the international schedule of Kabaddi always being rare, it’s refreshing for Kabaddi fans to see a competition consisting of the top Kabaddi nations across Asia.

The sport was first introduced at the Asian Games in 1982 and later played as an event in 1990. Ever since then, the Indian Kabaddi team has dominated the event, winning 8 gold medals and 1 bronze medal, while the Iranian Kabaddi team has been the second-best, winning one gold medal and 3 silver medals.

However, the sport is now growing, and more nations are emerging as serious medal contenders. The men’s Kabaddi event at the Asian Games 2026 will feature 10 of the best Asian nations, who will compete for the medals. On that note, let’s have a look at the captains of all ten countries for the upcoming Kabaddi event.

Also Read: Three best defenders of Indian men’s kabaddi team for Asian Games 2026

List of captains leading the 10 nations in the men’s Kabaddi event at the Asian Games 2026

The Indian Kabaddi team is being led by the newly appointed captain, Sunil Kumar, who replaced Pawan Sehrawat. The Iranian Kabaddi team, which won the 2018 Asian Games gold medal, is continuing with their gold medal-winning captain, Fazel Atrachali, while the South Korean team, which won the silver medal in that edition, is also being led by their most experienced player, Jang Kun Lee.

Pakistan is captained by Mudassir Shah, Thailand by Thanongsak Srihera, Bangladesh by Mijanur Rahman, Nepal by Ghanshayam Magar, Malaysia by D. Vijayankumaran, Japan by Abe Tetsuro, and Chinese Taipei by Tsai Chang Hao.

All these captains will lead their respective nations on the big stage, looking to win medals. India and Iran come across as the top contenders for the gold medal since they have dominated this event for years, and their squads also look the most balanced. Nations like Chinese Taipei and South Korea can also pose a challenge to these two big teams and create an upset.

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.