Mohammadreza Shadloui issues open challenge to Indian men's kabaddi team ahead of Asian Games 2026
Mohammadreza Shadloui outlined Iran’s goal for the 2026 Asian Games.
India have a huge responsibility to defend their gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. They have already announced a 12-man squad for the event and also named Sunil Kumar as their captain.
However, Iran will be India‘s biggest rival in the quest to win the gold medal at the Asian Games. The 2018 gold medal winners lost the final to India at the last Asian Games and will be eager to take their revenge.
Recently, the Iran men’s kabaddi team toured Pakistan for a six-match series, with both sides fielding two teams each. Iran maintained their dominance in the series and won it 5-0. Iran showed their class and tactics against Pakistan and also sent a strong message that they are ready for the Asian Games.
Now, Iran’s star all-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui, who has been one of the best kabaddi players in the world over the last few years, gave a bold statement in the post-match interview.
Shadloui sends a bold message to India
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
Mohammadreza Shadloui, who plays for Gujarat Giants in the Pro Kabaddi League and was the most expensive player in PKL 12, didn’t have the season he had hoped for.
However, over the past few years, Shadloui has established himself as one of the world’s best defenders—one who can also raid when needed. Iran lost the 2022 Asian Games final by a narrow margin, and the match also saw controversy involving the ‘lobby rule’.
Even though Shadloui gave his best performance as a raider in that match, it wasn’t enough to secure a win, and Iran failed to defend their gold medal. However, this time around, Shadloui is feeling confident about his chances.
In the post-match interview, he said, “We are ready for the Indian team, and this time the gold medal is ours. We will fight with them.”
This statement has fuelled the rivalry between the two teams, who are the direct competitors for the gold medal in the kabaddi event. Fans are already excited to see how Sunil Kumar & Co. will take on Iran.
When will the Kabaddi event at the Asian Games 2026 start?
The Kabaddi event at the 2026 Asian Games is scheduled to commence on September 21, 2026, and will continue until September 26.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Kabaddi is old, but not older than my love for it. I am still a rookie, but kabaddi is one thing I have been following passionately since my childhood. I don't miss any matches of the league and I regularly follow domestic and international tournaments as well.