India women beat Japan 50-25 to top Group A and enter the kabaddi semifinals, while the men also seal a last-four spot.
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India women Kabaddi team top group A to enter Asian Games 2026 semis(Photo: X)
India continued their strong run in kabaddi at the Asian Games 2026 as both the women’s and men’s teams booked their places in the semifinals with convincing wins on Thursday.
The Indian women finished on top of Group A after beating hosts Japan 50-25, while the men completed an unbeaten group-stage campaign with a 37-21 victory over Chinese TaipeiBoth teams entered the knockout stage after impressive performances throughout the group phase.
India Women dominate Japan to top Group A
The defending champions produced another commanding performance as they outplayed Japan from the startIndia went into half-time with a massive 32-13 lead before adding 18 more points after the break.
The Indian team kept control of the contest in the second half and never allowed Japan to build any real pressureThey finished with 37 points from successful raids, while seven bonus points and six points from all-outs completed their total.
India had already beaten Bangladesh and Iran in their earlier Group A matchesThe 50-25 win over Japan ensured that the defending champions ended the group stage unbeaten and finished at the top of the table.
With the semifinal place already secured, India will now shift their focus to the knockout stage as they look to defend the gold medal won at the previous Asian Games.
India Men complete unbeaten group stage
The Indian men also signed off the group stage with a fourth straight victoryThey defeated Chinese Taipei 37-21 to finish at the top of Group A and move into the semifinals.
India made a strong start and took a 23-11 lead into the half-time breakChinese Taipei tried to fight back after the restart, but the Indian defence continued to keep the opposition raiders under control.
India scored 14 points in the second half, while Chinese Taipei managed 10, allowing the defending champions to comfortably close out the matchIndia’s total included 28 successful raid points, three bonus points and six points from all-outs.
The men had earlier defeated Japan, South Korea and Bangladesh in the group stageTheir latest win extended their unbeaten run and confirmed their place in the medal rounds.
India’s strong Kabaddi record at Asian Games
Kabaddi has been part of the Asian Games since 1990, and India have enjoyed a dominant record in the men’s eventThe Indian men have won nine medals, including eight gold medals, since the sport made its Asiad debut.
The only break in their gold-medal run came at the 2018 Asian Games, where India finished with a bronze.
With both teams now through to the semifinals, India remain in contention for gold medals in both men’s and women’s kabaddi at the Asian Games 2026.
