India's men and women reach finals in Asian Games kabaddi after semifinal wins

The Indian men's and women's kabaddi teams reached the finals at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday, September 25, 2026, after convincing semifinal victories.

The women beat Nepal 48-24 and the men defeated Thailand 66-28 as both sides stayed on course for the defence of their gold medals and preserved unbeaten records in the tournament.

In the women's semifinal India carried a 31-17 advantage into half-time, having recorded four all-outs and four bonus points in the opening period. Nepal managed only seven points after the break, leaving India to advance to the summit clash.

The men's team led 37-18 at the interval and sustained control in the second half. The match statistics showed India accumulated 15 bonus points compared with Thailand's five, a differential noted in the game's scoring.

The pair of comprehensive wins came in the last-four stage of the competition and maintained the defending champions' run through the current edition. Both results were described as facile while keeping India unbeaten in their respective draws.

Women's kabaddi was introduced to the Asian Games programme in 2010 and India have dominated every edition since its inclusion. Men's kabaddi has been on the Asiad roster since 1990; India have won eight gold medals in the event, with Iran the only other nation to top the podium when it finished first in 2018 and India settled for bronze in that edition.

Both Indian teams will face the winners of the Iran–Chinese Taipei fixture in their respective finals.