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Indian men's kabaddi team booked their title defence clash at the ongoing Asian Games 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya on Friday, thrashing Thailand in a largely one-sided semifinal.
India defeated Thailand 66-28, and the eight-time men's kabaddi champions at the Asian Games will now defend their crown against either Iran or Chinese Taipei on Saturday. The Indian men's kabaddi team started off the semifinal clash on a dominating note, taking a 7-1 lead within the first five minutes. However, Thailand, courtesy of some fine performances from Theeradat Chaisit, who put in a raid to win three points and made Team India get all out, managed a fightback and reduced the deficit to 14-23. Theeradat continued being a lone warrior for his team, but India led 37-18 at half-time. With 11 minutes to go in the match, India hit the 50-point mark, leading Thailand 50-23. India continued to dominate in the final few minutes of the match, with Thailand not getting any space to breathe. India managed a total of 43 outs as compared to just 20 by their opponents. India also earned eight all-out points as compared to just two by Thailand. India managed 15 bonus points as well, compared to just five by Thailand. There was also a lot of good news pouring in from the women's kabaddi as the defending champions India stormed into the final by defeating Nepal 48-24 in the semi-final on Friday. India started strongly and took a 9-5 lead after the opening five minutes, with the defending champions picking up points through raids, while Nepal looked to put pressure on India's defence. Nepal continued to challenge India and produced a super tackle on Sonali, preventing the Indian raider from reaching the line. India maintained a five-point advantage at 15-10 as Nepal continued to test the defending champions. Nepal's Ganga Ghimire then produced a standout raid, earning four points despite facing ankle holds as she managed to touch the line. After a lengthy check, the raid was confirmed as four points, reducing the gap as India led 21-15 with four minutes remaining in the first half. India, however, gradually tightened its grip on the contest and extended the advantage before the break. Strong performances from Sanju Devi and Sonali helped India take a commanding 31-17 lead at half-time. The defending champions continued to dominate after the restart and maintained a comfortable cushion throughout the second half. India eventually completed a comprehensive 48-24 victory to book their place in the final. India will face either Chinese Taipei or Iran in the final, scheduled to be played on Saturday. The Indian women's kabaddi team will now look to defend its Asian Games title and add another gold medal to the country's campaign in Aichi-Nagoya. (ANI)
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