India's men's and women's kabaddi teams booked their places in the finals of their respective events at the Asian Games 2026 on Friday, keeping their gold medal defence on track.
The women's team defeated Nepal by 48-24 in the semifinal before the men's side followed it up with a 66-28 win over Thailand. Both Indian teams remained unbeaten in the competition with their comprehensive victories.
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India Women Beat Nepal
India's women's team took control of the semifinal early, by building a 31-17 lead at half-time. The defending champions continued to dominate after the break, with Nepal managing only seven points in the second half.
India advanced to another Asian Games final with the 48-24 victory, continuing their quest to reclaim the gold medal from the last edition in Hangzhou, China.
India has won gold in every Asian Games since women's kabaddi was added to the schedule in 2010.
India Men Storm Past Thailand
The men's team produced a similarly dominant display against Thailand, taking a 37-18 lead into half-time before maintaining their advantage in the second half.
India's superiority was also reflected in the bonus points, with the team collecting 15 compared to Thailand's five.
The 66-28 victory helped India reach the men's final as they continue their defence of the Asian Games title.
Since 1990, India's men's team has participated in every Asian Games kabaddi competition, winning eight gold medals. Iran, which won gold in 2018, is the only other men's team to have won the championship. India won bronze in that competition.
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India To Face Iran Or Chinese Taipei
India will face the winner of the Iran-Chinese Taipei semifinal in both the men's and women's finals.
The gold-medal matches are scheduled for Saturday, September 26, with the women's final followed by the men's final.
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