India led Japan 31-9 at the break, and then won the second half 18-15
India’s kabaddi title defence opened with a 49-24 win over the hosts. The group has already produced an upset that had nothing to do with them.
Sep 21, 2026
India led Japan 31-9 at half-time in their Asian Games kabaddi opener on Monday. They won the second half 18-15. The final score of 49-24 makes it look like a 40-minute demolition, and it was not; it was a 20-minute demolition followed by a fairly ordinary game of kabaddi.
Two all-outs, and the game was gone
India started at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture the way defending champions are supposed to. Ashu Malik got the raiding going with a three-point raid, India put Japan out for the first all-out at 11-2, and then did it again at 18-2. Devank Dalal kept the raid points coming. Sunil Kumar and Rahul Sethpal did the tackling.
The hosts had nine points at the interval and their crowd had very little to shout about. Japan were a different side after it. The second 20 minutes finished nearly level, with Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal and Aslam Inamdar taking over the raiding for India.
This is a young squad. Eight of the twelve are at their first Asian Games, among them Ayan Lohchab, who finished Pro Kabaddi Season 12 as its leading raider.
South Korea on Tuesday is the actual test
India have won eight of the nine men’s kabaddi golds the Asian Games have awarded. The exception was 2018 in Jakarta, when Iran beat South Korea 26-16 in the final and India went home with a bronze.
That tournament also produced the result India’s kabaddi players still get asked about. South Korea beat them 24-23 in a group game on 20 August 2018, India’s first defeat in 28 years at these Games. Korea are the opponents on Tuesday.
Korea arrive having already lost, beaten 39-35 by Bangladesh in Monday’s first match. Bangladesh are on India’s schedule for Wednesday and Chinese Taipei on Thursday, so the group has already produced an upset that had nothing to do with India. The semi-finals are on Friday and the final on Saturday.
The women go later
India’s women, who have won three of the four golds available to them, open against Bangladesh later on Monday. Their group contains Iran, the country that took the other one, and Iran spent Monday morning beating Japan 63-20.