Kabaddi at the 20th Asian Games continued at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with the third day of group matches delivering decisive results. The tournament, running from 21 to 26 September, features ten men’s teams and eight women’s teams split into two groups each. All matches are scheduled in Indian Standard Time, with a morning session from 06:00 to 10:30 and an evening session from 12:30 to 16:50.
Schedule and group structure
The men’s competition is organized into Group A (India, Japan, Bangladesh, Republic of Korea, Chinese Taipei) and Group B (Iran, Pakistan, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia). The women’s draw places India, Iran, Japan and Bangladesh in Group A, while Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Nepal contest Group B. Each side faces every other team in its group once; the top two from each group advance to the semi‑finals on 25 September. No bronze‑medal match is scheduled – both losing semi‑finalists receive bronze – and the gold‑medal contests are set for 26 September, with the women’s final at 09:30 IST and the men’s final at 14:30 IST.
Day three saw a packed itinerary. Chinese Taipei’s men were the only side playing twice, opening against the Republic of Korea at 06:00 IST and later meeting Japan at 15:00 IST. India’s men, unbeaten after two victories, faced Bangladesh in the afternoon, while the women’s marquee clash between India and Iran took place at 08:30 IST. The remaining fixtures completed the day’s schedule across both sessions.
Key matchups and results
India entered the day as the most decorated nation in Asian Games kabaddi history, holding eleven gold medals from thirteen editions. The men, captained by Sunil Kumar with vice‑captain Pawan Sehrawat, had already defeated Japan 49‑24 and the Republic of Korea 63‑31, the latter match featuring 17 bonus points and three All‑Outs. Their women’s side, led by Pushpa Rana and coached by Neeta Dadwe, opened with a 42‑21 win over Bangladesh and rested on the morning of the third day.
The women’s headline encounter pitted India against Iran at 08:30 IST. Iran, the only other nation to have captured Asian Games kabaddi gold – achieving back‑to‑back titles in 2018 – entered the match after a 63‑20 triumph over Japan and a 54‑19 victory against Bangladesh. The contest ended with India prevailing 37‑23, restoring the Indian women’s unbeaten run and handing Iran a second loss of the tournament.
In the men’s arena, India faced Bangladesh at 13:45 IST. Bangladesh, who had surprised the draw by beating the Republic of Korea 39‑35 and edging Chinese Taipei 48‑47 before a narrow loss to Japan, were looking for a statement win. India’s seasoned raiders – Ashu Malik, Arjun Deshwal and Devank Dalal – helped the side post a 48‑25 victory, extending India’s perfect record to two wins from two and cementing a strong points differential.
Other notable results from Day 3 included a 43‑37 win for Chinese Taipei over the Republic of Korea, a match that effectively eliminated the Koreans from semi‑final contention, given their earlier defeats. Iran continued its dominant march by overwhelming Malaysia 67‑33, boosting its net points ahead of the final group matches.
Several fixtures concluded without publicly disclosed scores: Thailand versus Pakistan, Japan versus Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei versus Japan, and Chinese Taipei versus Nepal. These matches were expected to influence net‑point calculations, especially in Group B where Pakistan and Thailand each started with a win, and in the women’s Group B where Chinese Taipei and Nepal vied for the second semi‑final berth.
Implications for the semi‑final race
With two days of results in hand, the group standings are beginning to crystallize. In Group A, India sits atop the men’s table with a flawless 2‑0 record and a substantial points margin derived from 49‑24 and 63‑31 victories. Iran’s men have played only one match, a 67‑33 win over Malaysia, leaving them in a strong position to challenge for the top two spots.
Bangladesh’s men, despite a respectable 2‑1 record, will need a win against India to keep alive any chance of reaching the semi‑finals, a result that would mark their best Asian Games performance in over two decades. The Republic of Korea, after losses to Bangladesh and India, now faces a must‑win situation against Chinese Taipei, but the 43‑37 defeat suggests their tournament may be nearing an end.
On the women’s side, India and Iran each command a perfect 1‑0 record in Group A, with large winning margins that give both teams a comfortable cushion in net‑point calculations. Their clash on Day 3 was decisive; India’s 37‑23 win places them firmly in the lead, while Iran must rely on a victory in its remaining group match to stay in contention.
Group B remains more fluid. Pakistan and Thailand have both secured opening wins, while Iran’s dominant performance against Malaysia and Nepal’s loss to Thailand keep the competition tight. Net points are already proving crucial, as the tournament’s format ranks teams first by wins and then by the cumulative score difference across all group matches. Consequently, teams are not only seeking victories but also aiming to maximize margins.
As the group stage draws to a close on 24 September, the semi‑final line‑up will likely feature India’s men and women, Iran’s men, and a mix of Pakistan, Thailand or possibly another surprise from Group B, depending on the outcomes of the remaining fixtures. The upcoming matches will determine whether the historical dominance of India continues or if a new challenger can break through to the gold‑medal match scheduled for 26 September.
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