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Asian Games kabaddi: Indian men book semis berth, women down Iran to keep clean slate
Indian kabaddi teams are on a roll in the 20th Asian Games 2026. The men successfully booked their place in the semifinals with a commanding 48-25 victory over Bangladesh at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday, making it three consecutive wins in the group stage. The women defeated strong Iran 37-23 to be a step away from the last four.
In their third Group A contest, India controlled the game from the very beginning as they repeatedly breached Bangladesh defence and attack to rack up 18 out points and seven bonus points in the first half. In an all-round performance by the defence and raiding unit, India also completed two All-Outs in the first half, adding four points to an already sizeable advantage.
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Bangladesh found it difficult to generate sustained momentum against the Indian defence, with just five out points and three bonus points to their name in the opening period. A solitary Super Tackle provided an additional point, but India’s all-round dominance saw them race into a commanding 29–9 lead at half-time.
The second half began with Arjun Deshwal replacing Devank Dalal as the Indian side looked to sustain the pressure. Bangladesh, however, responded with a vastly improved attacking display as they produced 8 out points and 8 bonus points to score 16 points in the second period. India, meanwhile, added 19 points of their own, including another All Out to ensure Bangladesh’s resurgence did not threaten their lead.
The 48–25 victory gave India their third successive win in Group A, following comprehensive victories over hosts Japan and the Republic of Korea. With the team having sealed their spot in the men’s kabaddi semifinals, they will next face Chinese Taipei in their final group-stage fixture at 9:45 am on September 24, as they continue their pursuit of a ninth men’s kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games.
Indian women down Iran 37-23, a step away from semis
The women continued their title defence at the 2026 Asian Games with a 37-23 win over Islamic Republic of Iran in their Group A fixture at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium.
India will next face Japan in their final Group A fixture on September 24 to confirm a place in the semifinal. Pics: Olympics.com
After going neck-to-neck in the early exchanges, Iran took the early lead, particularly with the Indian defence struggling to cope with the reach of opposition raider Saniya Marani. Some rash decision-making didn’t help the Indian cause either.
The defending champions seemed on the brink of facing an all out at 10-6 but Pooja, the last Indian on the mat, pulled off a crunch two-point raid to avert it. The piece of play turned out to be a turning point in the match as India, led by Pooja’s raiding, kept clawing the deficit back and finally drew level at 11-11.
India found their footing thereafter and the momentum shifted firmly in their favour. From there, India took control, closing out the first half 19-15 with a well-rounded effort in both raiding and defence. The side carried that momentum into the second period, extending the lead steadily as Iran struggled to convert pressure into points, eventually finishing the half 18-8 to complete a 37-23 victory.
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India’s total of 37 points included 7 bonus points and 4 All-Out points, while Iran managed 6 bonus points across the match. India also picked up a Super Tackle point in the second half as their defence continued to disrupt Iran’s raiding rhythm.
India will next face Japan in their final Group A fixture on September 24 at 4:15 pm to confirm a place in the semifinal. After round-robin matches, the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals. There will be no bronze medal matches with both losing semi-finalists securing spots on the podium.
India are three-time Asian Games kabaddi champions in the women’s event. Iran are the only other gold medallists, having bagged the title at Jakarta 2018.