India’s women’s kabaddi team defended their Asian Games gold by defeating Iran in a tense final in Japan. However, an Iranian team official was spotted using a mobile phone in the technical zone, raising questions over tournament compliance and IKF regulations.
India women’s kabaddi team successfully defended their Asian Games gold medal by defeating Iran in the final at Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Saturday, September 26.
The Pushpa Rana-led team secured India’s fourth gold medal in five editions of the continental event, holding off a fierce second-half comeback from Iran to seal the tense victory. The Women in Blue displayed resilience and grit to fight back despite Iran’s attempt to bridge a first-half deficit, ultimately keeping their nerves in the closing minutes to pull off a victory.
India women’s kabaddi team added a third gold medal and overall 27th medal at the ongoing Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, further extending their historic dominance on the continental stage. However, the high-stakes clash has drawn unexpected scrutiny following viral footage from the sidelines.
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Iran Women’s Kabaddi Official Spotted Using Phone
As Iran suffered a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Team India despite a fierce performance, attention quickly turned to an unexpected controversy on the sidelines. A couple of Iran’s women’s kabaddi team officials were seen sitting on the team bench and closely following the action during the tense final.
In a video that went viral on social media, Iran’s kabaddi players were seen challenging the referee’s decision during the tense final, while officials on the bench appeared to follow the proceedings closely. However, the camera immediately panned towards the Iranian official, who was seen using the phone on the sidelines.
An Iranian women’s kabaddi team official was spotted filming the action and operating a mobile device from the restricted technical zone during the live gold medal clash against India inside the venue.
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Though India managed to overcome defeat at the hands of Iran, holding off a spirited challenge from their opponents to clinch the historic gold medal, the sideline incident has sparked broader conversations around tournament compliance.
Since the final witnessed a hard-fought contest between two of Kabaddi’s premier powerhouses, regulatory transparency and strict oversight of technical bench protocols remain vital talking points as tournament officials look into adherence to fair-play guidelines.
Is Use of Smartphone Allowed Inside Technical Area?
Iranian kabaddi women’s team official using mobile phone while being in the players and security area during the live match has sparked questions regarding strict tournament regulations and fair-play compliance inside the technical zones.
The International Kabaddi Federation (IFK) lays down the rules governing the sport at the international level, including provisions concerning the conduct of players, team officials and match officials. However, its publicly available regulations do not clearly specify a blanket ban on smartphone use by team officials in the technical area during the match.
The viral video of Iran’s women’s kabaddi team official, wherein she was seen filming the match with a mobile device from the technical bench during a high-stakes final, has raised questions over whether such use was permitted under the competition-specific regulations governing the technical area.
However, the Asian Games follow the rules and regulations laid down by the Olympic Council of Africa/Asia (OCA), where competitions are conducted under the technical rules of the respective International Federation. For kabaddi, this means the relevant IKF rules apply, alongside any competition-specific regulations issued for the Asian Games.
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