Indian kabaddi teams continued their hunt for a second consecutive gold medal at the Asian Games after both the men’s and women’s sides entered the finals in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday.

While the men’s team thrashed Thailand 66-28, the women’s side beat Nepal 48-24 to book their places in the gold-medal matches.

The prospect of an India-Iran final in both events remains alive, with Iran set to face Chinese Taipei in the other semifinals.

The women’s semifinal began with Pooja, Sanju Devi and Sonali Singhate leading India’s raiding effort against Nepal. However, India’s defence was breached repeatedly, with Ganga Ghimire proving a persistent threat. Ghimire also produced a Super Raid in the first half.

AS IT HAPPENED | Asian Games 2026 kabaddi semifinals Highlights

India, though, maintained control and went into the break with a 14-point lead.

Ghimire and Rabina Chaudhary continued to trouble the Indian defence after the interval, but Nepal’s raiders could not match the impact of their Indian counterparts. India inflicted three All Outs during the contest to pull away and secure a comfortable victory.

In the men’s semifinal, the defending champion got off to a flying start, picking up four straight points. Arjun Deshwal, Devank and Ayan shared the raiding duties as India inflicted its first of four All Outs within seven minutes.

Thailand then enjoyed a strong spell in the first half, with Theeradet Chaisit at the heart of its revival. He produced a Super Raid before adding two more points to help Thailand inflict an All Out on India.

But Thailand’s resistance was short-lived. India responded strongly and established a 19-point lead by half-time.

India grew increasingly dominant after the interval as Thailand appeared to tire, allowing the defending champion to cruise into the final.

Published on Sep 25, 2026