Rijiju Hails Indian Women's Kabaddi Team's Asian Games Gold
Synopsis
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju hailed the Indian Women's Kabaddi Team's gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, calling it 'a magnificent achievement' — extending a gold-winning tradition the team established at the 2018 Games in Jakarta.
Key Takeaways
The Indian Women's Kabaddi Team won gold at the Asian Games 2026 hosted in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan .
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju publicly congratulated the team on 26 September 2026 via his official X account.
India previously won gold in women's kabaddi at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang .
Kabaddi is widely recognised as an indigenous Indian sport that receives consistent government attention at multi-sport continental events.
Attention now shifts to potential national honours and felicitations for the gold-medal squad.
Gold. That single word, written in all caps by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, said everything — the Indian Women's Kabaddi Team clinched the top prize at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, 26 September 2026, sending a wave of pride across the country.
A Champion Pedigree on the Kabaddi Mat
This is not the first time India's women kabaddi players have stood tallest at Asia's grandest multi-sport stage. India won gold in women's kabaddi at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, establishing a winning tradition in the sport. The 2026 gold underlines that this team is no one-time phenomenon — it is a dynasty in the making.
Kabaddi occupies a unique place in India's sporting identity — an indigenous contact sport that has travelled from village mud arenas to continental championship finals. Every gold at the Asian Games is as much a cultural statement as it is an athletic one.
Rijiju's Salute and What It Signals
Minister Rijiju, who oversees Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs, posted his congratulations under the hashtags #AsianGames2026 and #Cheer4Bharat, calling it 'a magnificent achievement for our champions.' Indian ministers regularly amplify national team victories on social media, but the enthusiasm around kabaddi carries extra weight — the sport is consistently highlighted as a symbol of India's indigenous sporting heritage on the world stage.
The post arrives as India watches its overall medal tally build through the Aichi-Nagoya Games, with kabaddi among the disciplines drawing the most patriotic fervour back home.
What Comes Next for the Golden Side
Attention now turns to whether the government will follow the congratulations with formal honours for the squad — national awards and felicitations have historically followed Asian Games gold-medal performances in traditional sports. The team's players, whose names and home states span the country, will return as champions whose feat the nation is still processing.
India's women kabaddi players didn't just win a gold medal in Japan. They carried an entire sport's story on their shoulders — and delivered.
Point of View
Championing kabaddi — rooted in rural India and now an Asian-Games powerhouse — serves a dual purpose: sporting pride and a soft cultural-nationalist narrative. Rijiju's post, brief but emphatic, signals that this gold will likely be leveraged in the broader story of India's rise as a multi-sport nation. The real test will be whether formal government recognition for the players follows the Twitter applause.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Did India win gold in women's kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games?
Yes, the Indian Women's Kabaddi Team won the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026 held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, as confirmed by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju's official post on 26 September 2026.
Where are the 2026 Asian Games being held?
The 2026 Asian Games (20th edition) are hosted by Aichi-Nagoya in Japan.
Has India won women's kabaddi gold at the Asian Games before?
Yes, India won gold in women's kabaddi at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, Indonesia, making the 2026 gold a continuation of a strong championship tradition.
What did Kiren Rijiju say about India's kabaddi gold?
Minister Rijiju wrote 'GOLD FOR TEAM INDIA!' and called it 'a magnificent achievement for our champions,' posting his congratulations under the hashtags #AsianGames2026 and #Cheer4Bharat.
What is Kiren Rijiju's role in the Indian government?
Kiren Rijiju is India's Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Minister of Minority Affairs, and is a senior BJP leader from Arunachal Pradesh.
