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India booked their place in the men’s kabaddi semifinals at the 2026 Asian Games after beating Bangladesh 48-25 in their Group A match at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Wednesday.
The victory was India’s third straight win in the group stage and also assured them of a medal. India are now one step closer to their ninth men’s kabaddi gold medal at the Asian Games.
India Take Control In First Half
India started strongly and quickly put Bangladesh under pressure with a combination of sharp raids and solid defending.
They scored 18 points through successful outs and added seven bonus points. India also managed two all-outs as they built a big advantage.
Bangladesh found it difficult to break through the Indian defence. They managed just five out points and three bonus points in the first half, along with a Super Tackle point. India went into the break with a 29-9 lead.
Bangladesh Fight Back After Break
India made one change at the start of the second half, bringing Arjun Deshwal into the game in place of Devank Dalal.
Bangladesh looked much better after the restart and began finding points more regularly. They scored 16 points in the second half, including eight out points and eight bonus points.
India, however, kept their lead under control. They added 19 points in the second half and completed another all-out to shut the door on any comeback.
India Face Chinese Taipei Next
The win came after India had already defeated hosts Japan and South Korea in their first two Group A matches.
India will play Chinese Taipei in their final group match on Thursday. With their semifinal place already secured, the Indian team will aim to finish the group stage unbeaten before turning their attention to the knockout rounds.