Thailand put India all out once, and still lost the kabaddi semi-final 66-28
India’s men and women both won their Asian Games kabaddi semi-finals on Friday in Aichi, and will play for gold on Saturday.
Sep 25, 2026
Thailand did put India all out in the first half of Friday’s Asian Games semi-final. It barely registered on the scoreboard. India led 37-18 at the break and won 66-28 at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, and earlier that morning the women had beaten Nepal 48-24. Both Indian teams are in Saturday’s gold medal matches.
The men were 7-1 up inside five minutes
Sunil Kumar’s side had the game settled almost before Thailand had worked out the mat. India raced to 7-1, and Thailand’s one good spell, the All-Out included, only brought them back to 23-14. The gap never looked like closing. By the time 11 minutes were left India were 50-23 ahead.
The All-Out count was where it came apart for Thailand. India earned eight All-Out points to Thailand’s two, which is four times India cleared the Thai side from the mat against one in reply. They also took 15 bonus points to Thailand’s five, so the raiders were collecting cheap points on top of the tackles.
It is the fifth win in five for the men in Aichi, and the narrowest margin so far is still 16 points. Thailand had reached the semi-final on the back of a 48-45 win over Pakistan. There was no repeat of that against the defending champions.
Nepal had their moments, and then the break came
The women’s semi-final was closer for longer. India were 9-5 up early and only 15-10 ahead a little later, with Nepal defending smartly. They caught vice-captain Sonali Shingate in a Super Tackle, and Ganga Ghimire shook off ankle holds to come back with a four-point raid.
The last stretch of the first half turned it. India went into the interval 31-17 ahead, with Sanju Devi and Sonali doing most of the raiding damage alongside Pooja, and Pushpa Rana’s team never let Nepal back in after that.
India’s women have now reached the final in every Asian Games since the event was added in 2010. They have won all of those finals bar one, in Jakarta in 2018, when Iran beat them.
Iran or Chinese Taipei on Saturday
Iran and Chinese Taipei played both of Friday’s other semi-finals. Whoever came through those will play India, and either way there is history. Chinese Taipei’s women lost the Hangzhou final to India in 2023. Iran won both golds in Jakarta, after knocking India’s men out in the semi-final, the only time since 1990 that India have not won the men’s title.
The women’s gold medal match starts at 9.30am IST on Saturday, and the men’s at 2.30pm IST, both at the same gymnasium in Tokai. India won both golds in Hangzhou.