India Kick Off Kabaddi Title Defence With Emphatic 49-24 Win Over Hosts Japan

India's men's kabaddi team opened their Asian Games 2026 title defence in emphatic fashion on Monday, thrashing hosts Japan 49-24 in their Group A opener at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium in Tokai City, a result that sent an early statement to the rest of the field in the sport India has dominated for the best part of two decades.

Dominant From the Start

The defending champions never let Japan settle, racing to a commanding 31-9 lead by half-time as young raiders Ayan Lohchab and Devank Dalal combined effectively to keep the scoreboard ticking. Both raiders were central to India's attacking threat throughout, repeatedly breaching Japan's defensive line and picking up points in bunches during the opening half.

India added a further 18 points after the break to seal the contest, finishing with 36 touch points from raids, eight all-out points earned by wiping out the entire opposing team on the mat, and two super-tackle points from standout defensive plays. Japan, playing in front of a home crowd, put up a tougher fight in the second half but were unable to meaningfully close the gap that India had built in the first 20 minutes.

Group Picture and What's Next

India have been drawn in Group A alongside Japan, South Korea, Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh for the men's competition. Having opened with a comfortable win, the Indian side will face a sterner test on Tuesday when they take on South Korea, traditionally one of the toughest challengers to India's supremacy in the sport at continental level.

The result continues India's long-standing dominance of kabaddi at the Asian Games, where the men's team has won gold in the vast majority of editions since the sport's introduction to the Games programme. A new generation of raiders and defenders, including Lohchab and Dalal, has been tasked with carrying that legacy forward at Aichi-Nagoya after several senior players moved on from the setup in recent seasons.

Women's Team Also in Action

India's women's kabaddi team, also the defending Asian Games champions, were scheduled to begin their own campaign later on Monday against Bangladesh, adding to what has been a busy start to the Games for the Indian contingent across multiple disciplines.

Strong Start to the Games for India

Monday's kabaddi win added to a productive second day for India at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The country's shooters, hockey players and mixed martial artists have all been in visible form through the opening days of competition, with India already having picked up medals across shooting and combat sports before the kabaddi campaign got underway. With both the men's and women's kabaddi teams entering as defending champions, expectations are high that the sport will again be a reliable source of medals for India as the Games progress through the week.

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