SANYA, China: Iran produced a dominant all-round performance to defeat India 44-31 and claim the men’s beach kabaddi gold at the Asian Beach Games.
While India’s women secured their sixth consecutive title earlier in the day, the men had to settle for silver after being tactically outplayed on the Sanya sands. Pakistan and Sri Lanka claimed bronze.
India started slowly, with their only lead coming briefly at 9-8 in the first half. Iran quickly responded, employing a compact defensive setup that neutralised India’s key raider Neeraj and disrupted their rhythm.
Relying heavily on individual efforts rather than a coordinated approach, India struggled to cope as Iran dictated the tempo. The turning point came as Iran surged to a commanding 23-11 lead at halftime, capitalising on momentum swings typical of beach formats.
The match remained tight early on, with seven ties before 9-9, but Iran’s tactical shift proved decisive. Their defence was the standout, contributing 20 of their total points.
Led by captain Malak Mohammad, a veteran of the 2018 Asian Games, Iran executed their strategy to perfection.
“We analyzed India’s play carefully,” Mohammad said. “We forced them onto the flanks and frustrated their raiders. We didn’t let them build any consecutive points.”
