TEHRAN – India defeated Iran 42-32 on Friday to win the Asian Kabaddi Championship for eighth time.

Team Melli had previously lost to the Indians 33-28 in the competition held in Busan, South Korea from June 27 to 30.

Iran have won the title one time in 2003.

The competition, which was first played in 1980, was played in a single-legged round-robin format

The next big challenge for Iran will be the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, scheduled from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8.

Iran defeated India in the semifinals in Jakarta in 2018 and won the title after defeating South Korea.