Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 28 : As the Indian women's kabaddi team clinched a gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, captain Pushpa Rana described the team’s journey as challenging, saying their year-long training, intensive camps, dedicated coaches and strong support finally paid off in their achievement.
Indian women's kabaddi team defeated Iran 37-34 in a closely fought final on Saturday, successfully defending the title they won at the Hangzhou edition.
"It has been a very challenging journey. We have worked hard for this achievement for a long time, and today that hard work has finally paid off. We have been training throughout the year, with intensive camps for the last two to three months. Our coaches have worked extremely hard with us, both here and at the national camp. The support of everyone has helped us reach this stage," Rana told ANI. 
Indian kabaddi player Jyoti Thakur, a member of the gold medal-winning team, credited SAI Dharamshala, the federation and the entire support staff for providing quality facilities, training and opportunities, saying the medal was the result of everyone’s collective contribution.
“I also want to thank SAI Dharamshala for providing us with such good facilities and an excellent training environment. This medal is a result of everyone’s contribution. I am also thankful to our federation for believing in us, allowing us to represent the country and providing good facilities during the camp," Thakur told ANI. 
India held their nerve in a tense closing phase, with Iran pushing hard for a comeback. With a minute remaining, Iran needed points to stay in contention, but India's defence produced a crucial tackle on Aynaz to effectively seal the contest.
India eventually prevailed 37-34 to add another gold to their medal tally.