The men’s team begin their gold-medal defence with a statement win, racing to a 31–9 half-time lead before managing a spirited Japanese fightback in the second period
Aichi, Japan: India began the defence of their men’s kabaddi title at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a commanding 49–24 win over hosts Japan in their opening Group A fixture at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Monday morning.
Under captain Sunil Kumar, India asserted authority from the opening whistle, with Ashu Malik’s three-point Super Raid setting the tone early. He was ably supported by PKL star raiders Arjun Deshwal, Devank Dalal and Ayan Lohchab as the Indian team mounted the pressure.
The Indians kept the Japanese raiding unit in check throughout the first half, inflicting three All-Outs for six points in addition to racking up 24 out points of their own.
Japan struggled to generate any sustained momentum against India’s defensive combinations, managing just five touch points and leaning on four bonus points to stay on the scoreboard. By the break, India held an unassailable 22-point lead at 31-9.
Japan regrouped after the interval, playing with sharper tactical discipline. Backed by calculated bonus-line hunting and quick hand touches, they pushed India into a tighter 18-15 second half, holding India to just 12 points after the break.
But the Indian defence refused to let the contest slip, inflicting a fourth All-Out and showing clutch awareness with a timely Super Tackle while down on numbers to snuff out any hope of a comeback. India’s offence had already done the bulk of the damage early, with direct dismissals accounting for 36 of their 49 points, against a Japanese attack that drew more than a third of its total from the bonus line.
The result gives India a winning start to their title defence, with the men’s team looking to extend a run that has yielded eight golds from the last nine editions of the Games.
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