India Advances to Women's Kabaddi Final at Asian Games 2026
India Secures Spot in Women's Kabaddi Final
The Indian women's kabaddi team has successfully reached the finals of the Asian Games 2026, defeating Nepal with a score of 48-24 in the semi-final match held on Friday.
India began the match with a strong performance, establishing a 9-5 lead within the first five minutes. The defending champions scored points through effective raids, while Nepal attempted to apply pressure on India's defense. Nepal's efforts included a notable super tackle on Sonali, which prevented her from scoring.
Despite Nepal's challenges, India maintained a five-point lead at 15-10 as the match progressed. Ganga Ghimire from Nepal executed an impressive raid, earning four points despite being held back, which narrowed the score to 21-15 with just four minutes left in the first half.
However, India regained control and extended their lead before halftime, with standout performances from Sanju Devi and Sonali, ending the first half at 31-17.
In the second half, India continued to dominate, ultimately securing a decisive 48-24 victory and a place in the final.
India will compete against either Chinese Taipei or Iran in the final, set for Saturday, as they aim to defend their title and add another gold medal to their tally in Aichi-Nagoya.
India's Strong Performance Across Various Sports
In addition to kabaddi, India had a successful day at the Asian Games 2026, particularly in shooting. Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh clinched gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event, while Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil, and Niraj Kumar earned silver in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions team event. Both Tomar and Niraj advanced to the individual finals.
India also secured medals in table tennis and squash, with Diya Chitale-Manush Shah and Joshana Chinappa-Velavan Senthilkumar reaching the mixed doubles semifinals. Abhay Singh progressed to the men's singles squash semifinals after defeating Japan's Ryunosuke Tsukue 3-0, and Yashaswini Ghorpade moved on to the third round of women's singles table tennis.
In hockey, India triumphed over Japan with a score of 3-1 in the women's Pool B match. Additionally, Sajan Prakash, Rishabh Das, and Utkarsh Patil advanced to the swimming finals, while Dhruv Kapila-Tanisha Crasto and Unnati Hooda began their badminton campaigns with victories.
India also reached Final B in the men's kayak double 500m event, although the women's kayak four team finished eighth. There were some exits in fencing, canoe sprint, and swimming, while India's women's heptathlon athletes Anamika Aneesh and Pooja ranked seventh and ninth overall, respectively. In esports, India faced a defeat against South Korea in Pokémon Unite.