Published: September 22, 2026 at 12:18 pm
India continued their unbeaten run at the 2026 Asian Games with a commanding 63–31 victory over the Republic of Korea in their second Group A fixture at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan, on Tuesday morning.
Indian men begin kabaddi title defence with a comprehensive 49-24 win over hosts Japan
Captain Sunil Kumar’s side, many of whose raiders and defenders are familiar names from the Pro Kabaddi League, took early control of the contest and never let go. The Indian raiding unit was clinical throughout, picking up 38 out points across the match against Korea’s 23, while the defence backed that up with a string of successful tackles that repeatedly stalled Korea’s attacking rhythm.
With the win, India remain firmly on course to top Group A, having now beaten hosts Japan and Korea in successive outings. Pic: Olympics.com
India raced to a 34–14 lead at the interval, built on 23 out points and seven bonus points in the opening half alone, along with two All-Outs that Korea simply had no answer for. Korea’s raiders struggled to find gaps in the Indian defensive line, managing just 10 touch points of their own before the break.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with Korea showing marginally more fight but never threatening a comeback. India added a further 29 points after the restart, inflicting one more All-Out and stretching their bonus-point tally to 17 for the match, while Korea’s response yielded 17 points but nothing close to the scale needed to peg back the deficit.
With the win, India remain firmly on course to top Group A, having now beaten hosts Japan and Korea in successive outings. The men’s team next takes on Bangladesh on September 23 in Group A action as they continue their pursuit of a ninth Asian Games gold in the last 10 editions.
