India Reach Both Kabaddi Finals With Convincing Semifinal Wins
Unbeaten Indian squads will meet Iran for the men’s and women’s golds after dominant last-four performances that controlled both matches.
Overview
- The Indian women beat Nepal 48-24 in the semifinal, building a 31-17 half-time lead that featured four all-outs and four bonus points to pull clear.
- The Indian men defeated Thailand 66-28 in their semi, leading 37-18 at the break and collecting 15 bonus points to Thailand’s five to underline their superiority.
- Both teams enter the finals unbeaten and are defending champions in their events, setting up back-to-back India-versus-Iran gold-medal showdowns.
- Iran reached both finals by beating Chinese Taipei in the semis, so Saturday’s matches will renew the recent regional rivalry between the two kabaddi powers.
- Women’s kabaddi has been on the Asian Games program since 2010 with India winning every edition and men’s kabaddi has seen India take most golds since 1990, a history that frames the pressure and expectation on both squads.