Aichi-Nagoya: India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams moved a step closer to defending their Asian Games titles after securing convincing victories in their respective semi-finals on Friday.

The women’s team defeated Nepal 48-24 before the men’s side completed a memorable double with a commanding 66-28 win over Thailand. The victories kept both Indian teams unbeaten in the competition and set up their respective gold-medal clashes.

India entered the semi-finals as defending champions in both categories and produced dominant performances to underline their consistency at the continental level. The women’s side controlled the contest against Nepal from the opening whistle, while the men’s team similarly established a sizeable advantage against Thailand and never allowed their opponents to build momentum.

With both teams now through to the summit clash, India remain on course for two more gold medals in kabaddi at the Asian Games.

India women dominate Nepal

The women’s semi-final saw India take control early and establish a commanding 31-17 lead by half-time.

India’s advantage was built through a combination of successful raids, defensive efforts and bonus points. The defending champions managed four all-outs and collected four bonus points during the opening half, putting Nepal under considerable pressure.

Nepal struggled to find a way back into the contest after the interval. The Indian defence continued to restrict the opposition’s scoring opportunities, while the raiders maintained their effectiveness to keep the scoreboard moving.

Nepal could add only seven more points in the second half as India completed a comfortable 48-24 victory.

The result extended India’s unbeaten campaign and ensured that the women’s team would get another opportunity to defend the title it has won at every Asian Games edition since kabaddi was introduced to the women’s programme.

Men’s team delivers another commanding win

The men’s semi-final followed a similarly one-sided pattern, with India taking a 37-18 lead against Thailand at the halfway stage.

Thailand found it difficult to match India’s intensity and depth, as the Indian side maintained pressure in both attack and defence. The 18-point half-time advantage gave India a strong platform to control the remainder of the match.

India continued to dominate after the break and eventually completed a 66-28 victory.

One of the clearest indicators of India’s control was the number of bonus points secured during the match. India collected 15 bonus points compared with Thailand’s five, reflecting the difference in their ability to consistently create scoring opportunities.

The comprehensive victory also kept the men’s team’s unbeaten record intact and booked its place in the Asian Games final.

India continue long-standing kabaddi dominance

Kabaddi has been one of India’s strongest sports at the Asian Games, particularly in the women’s competition.

Women’s kabaddi was introduced to the Asian Games programme in 2010, and India have won the gold medal at every edition since then. The women’s team’s latest semi-final victory keeps that remarkable record intact and gives the defending champions another chance to extend their dominance.

The men’s competition has a considerably longer history at the continental multi-sport event. Men’s kabaddi has been part of the Asian Games programme since 1990, with India winning eight gold medals.

India’s dominance in the men’s event was briefly interrupted at the 2018 Asian Games, when Iran won the gold medal and India had to settle for bronze.

That result remains an unusual outcome in the history of Indian kabaddi at the Asian Games. India subsequently returned to the top in the following edition and entered the current tournament as defending champions.

Gold-medal clashes await

Both Indian teams will now compete for gold after progressing through their respective semi-finals.

The supplied match report initially stated that the finalists would face the winners of the Iran-Chinese Taipei contests. With the semi-final stage completed, the gold-medal matches will provide India with an opportunity to defend both Asian Games titles.

The men’s and women’s teams have already demonstrated their strength by remaining unbeaten through the tournament. Their emphatic semi-final victories have also given them considerable momentum heading into the final.

For the women’s team, another gold would preserve India’s perfect record since the sport was introduced to the women’s Asian Games programme. For the men’s team, victory would further reinforce India’s long-standing record in the competition after the setback in 2018.

The two finals will therefore carry significance beyond the medals themselves. India are seeking to retain both kabaddi titles and continue a record that has made the country synonymous with success in the sport at the Asian Games.

With both teams safely through to the summit clash, India now stand one victory away from completing a double gold-medal defence in kabaddi.