Asia Rugby Men's Division 1: Hosts Sri Lanka thrash India 45-10 in semi-final

India faced a humiliating 10-45 defeat at the hands of hosts Sri Lanka in the semi-finals of the Asia Rugby Men's Division 1 on Tuesday, April 30.

Led by Deepak Punia, the Indian team were trailing by 18 points at half-time, with the scoreline reading 21-3 in favor of the hosts. Sri Lanka added 24 points in the second half, while India managed to bag only seven.

The Indian team put up a better showing in the second half than the first. They are a lower-ranked side and will look to take positives from the game and get better with time.

A picture from the Asia Rugby Men's Division 1 match between Kazakhstan and Qatar (Image Credits: X/Asia Rugby)

Earlier in the day, Kazakhstan took on Qatar in the other semi-final contest at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Qatar took a seven-point lead at half-time, with the scoreboard reading 21-14.

However, Kazakhstan came from behind to snatch a victory against Qatar. The Kazakhs added 19 points to their tally in the second half, while Qatar managed to earn only 10 points. Kazakhstan won the match 33-31 and stormed into the final of the Asia Rugby Men's Division 1.

The four-team tournament is being held in a knockout format with two semi-final matches on April 30. The winner of the semis will play the final on May 4, while the losers will battle it out for the third place.

India will take on Qatar in the third-place match, while Sri Lanka will host Kazakhstan in the final of the Asia Rugby Men's Division 1.

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Asia Rugby Men's Division 1: Fixtures (May 4, 2024)

3rd Place Match: India vs Qatar, 4:00 PM IST

Final: Sri Lanka vs Kazakhstan, 7:00 PM IST

(Both matches will be played at the Racecourse Ground in Colombo, Sri Lanka)