India rout Thailand 66-28, set up kabaddi final against Iran
India’s men delivered another emphatic performance in their Asian Games title defence, defeating Thailand 66-28 in the kabaddi semi-final at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
The victory on Friday, September 25, extended India’s unbeaten run at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 and booked a gold-medal showdown with Iran. The final is scheduled for Saturday, September 26, at 2:30 PM IST, corresponding to 6 PM local time in Japan.
India establish early control
India began aggressively, collecting bonus points and forcing Thailand’s defence into difficult situations. Devank Dalal led the early raiding effort, while the Indian defensive unit maintained pressure from the opening exchanges.
That combination quickly produced the first All-Out of the contest and gave India an early advantage. However, Thailand refused to allow the defending champions an entirely comfortable opening half.
Supawit Somrat stopped Ayan Lohchab with a back hold before Theeradet Chaisit changed the momentum with a three-point Super Raid. Chaisit then helped Thailand inflict an All-Out on India, briefly cutting into the lead and giving the semi-final a competitive edge.
Thailand’s response halted before half-time
Chaisit remained Thailand’s primary attacking threat, but India’s raiding depth ensured that the scoreboard continued to move. Dalal and Arjun Deshwal repeatedly found their way through the Thai defence as India recovered from their short spell under pressure.
A further All-Out near the end of the opening period restored India’s firm grip on the match. The defending champions reached half-time with a 37-18 lead, leaving Thailand with a substantial deficit despite its spirited response.
Second-half surge completes the rout
India resumed with the same intensity after the interval. Dalal continued to deliver in attack, while Lohchab added important raid points as the margin widened.
Thailand still found occasional success through Chaisit, but it could not match India’s consistency at both ends of the mat. Another All-Out pushed the contest further beyond Thailand’s reach, and India’s defence became increasingly influential as the second half progressed.
Aslam Inamdar contributed in attack and defence, helping India close down the spaces Thailand’s raiders had exploited earlier. India eventually completed a 66-28 victory, scoring 43 out points, 15 bonus points and eight All-Out points. The eight All-Out points represented four separate dismissals of the entire Thai side during the match.
India’s route to the gold-medal match
India have won all five of their matches at the tournament, scoring 263 points and conceding 129. Their campaign began with a 49-24 victory over hosts Japan, followed by a 63-31 win against the Republic of Korea.
A 48-25 success against Bangladesh secured their semi-final place with a group match still remaining. India then beat Chinese Taipei 37-21 to finish top of Group A before overwhelming Thailand in the last four.
Iran advanced from the other side of the draw, setting up a meeting between the two leading powers in men’s Asian kabaddi. The final is also a rematch of the Hangzhou 2022 gold-medal contest, which India won 33-29. Although officially known as the 2022 Asian Games, that edition was staged in 2023 following its postponement.
A ninth Asian Games gold within reach
India’s men have dominated kabaddi since it became a medal sport at the Asian Games in 1990. They won seven consecutive titles from 1990 through 2014, establishing a record unmatched in the competition.
That run ended at Jakarta 2018, when India lost in the semi-finals and finished with bronze as Iran claimed gold. India regained the title at Hangzhou, taking their overall men’s kabaddi tally to eight Asian Games gold medals from nine editions before Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
A victory over Iran would therefore give India a ninth men’s kabaddi gold and complete another unbeaten continental campaign. The semi-final scoreline underlined their strength, but the final is expected to provide their toughest examination of the tournament.
