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The Indian men's kabaddi team delivered an outstanding performance in a high-stakes semi-final clash against Pakistan at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, China, securing their place in the final with a commanding 61-14 victory. This will be India's eighth appearance in the Asian Games kabaddi final.
The Indian kabaddi team demonstrated their dominance from the start. Despite Pakistan taking an early lead with two tackle points, India quickly regrouped and retaliated with an all-out against Pakistan. Turning the tables, India quickly surged to a 10-4 lead thanks largely to Naveen Kumar's multi-point raids.
Indian captain Pawan Sehrawat executed a super raid, extending the lead even further. Aslam Inamdar quickly joined the fray, significantly contributing to India's dominance. India inflicted two more all-outs with a relentless onslaught, finishing the first half with a commanding 30-5 lead.
While Pawan Sehrawat and Naveen Kumar were replaced in the second half by Sachin Tanwar and Akash Shinde, India's scoring rate remained impressive. Pakistan showed signs of improvement early in the second half, but they were unable to match India's prowess. The Indian team then inflicted two more all-outs on the two-time silver medalists, securing their place in the final.
India ready to exact vengeance on Iran in the final
India's flawless performance against Pakistan added to their remarkable track record at the Asian Games, securing their seventh consecutive kabaddi victory over their arch-rivals.
India entered the semi-finals unbeaten and is now looking forward to the final showdown. Indian captain Pawan Sehrawat emphasised that the semi-final victory served as a warm-up for their upcoming clash with Iran, emphasising their determination to perform similarly in the final.
India had gone unbeaten through the group stage, reaching the semi-finals with four wins in four matches. They finished first in Group A, while Chinese Taipei finished second with three wins and one loss.
India will now face Iran in the epic final, in which both teams will compete for the coveted gold medal. This match will be especially important for India, who are looking to reclaim their Asian Games kabaddi title and avenge their semi-final loss in the previous edition.
