Japan vs India Kabaddi 2026: Match Result, Scorecard, Highlights and Analysis

The kabaddi matches between Japan and India at the Asian Games 2026 received interest from kabaddi fans due to India continuing to pursue gold medals in both the men’s and women’s competitions. On September 21, 2026, the Indian men’s team won against host country Japan with a score of 49-24 during their first group stage match. Similarly, the Indian women’s team won decisively against Japan with a score of 50-25 on September 24, 2026.

The two results showed how good India is at raiding, working together on defense, and overall team work. Japan was determined to perform well in front of their home fans; however, India was able to keep control in both matches. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the match results, scorecards, top performances, and the tournament as a whole.

Japan vs India Kabaddi 2026: Match Overview

The men’s competition was held in Aichi Prefecture at the Tokai Citizen’s Gymnasium. India entered the event with a title of “Men’s Champion” from last year’s Asian Games. Japan was hoping to take on one of Asia’s top kabaddi teams in their own country.

In the men’s event, India took a commanding position early on, creating a significant lead prior to the half. Three days later, the women’s event developed in a similar manner, with India establishing a sizable lead prior to the break.

Match Detail	Men’s Match	Women’s Match
Tournament	Asian Games 2026	Asian Games 2026
Teams	Japan vs India	Japan vs India
Date	September 21, 2026	Thu, Sep 24
Final score	Japan 24–49 India	Japan 25–50 India
Winner	India	India
Venue	Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, Japan	Tokai Citizens Gymnasium, Japan
Competition stage	Group A	Group A

India won both matches by 25 points, underlining its strong performance across the men’s and women’s competitions.

Japan vs India Kabaddi Men’s Match Scorecard

India defeated Japan 49–24 in the men’s Group A match on September 21, 2026. The victory gave the defending champions a successful start to their Asian Games campaign.

Score Details	Japan	India
First-half score	9	31
Second-half points	15	18
Final score	24	49
Result	Lost	Won

India held a commanding 31–9 lead at half-time. Japan improved after the interval and scored 15 points in the second half, compared with India’s 18. However, the early advantage proved too large for Japan to overcome.

India’s attack generated 36 points through direct dismissals, while the defence worked effectively to limit Japan’s scoring opportunities. The Indian team also executed multiple all-outs and produced an important super tackle during the contest.

How India Defeated Japan in Men’s Kabaddi

India had confidence in their game when they started out, but responded immediately to Japan taking the first score of the match via a bonus point. Ayan Lochab put India on the board, and Ashu Malik made a quick three point super raid to help build India’s momentum.

Arjun Deshwal and Devank Dalal (both experienced raiders) were able to provide added offensive pressure to the Indian team. Ayan Lochab was also able to contribute to the effort by continually providing support as the Indian team continued to attack Japan’s defense.

India’s defense had as much of an impact as their offense. They were able to stop Japan from getting into a good groove with their attacks through well coordinated tackles and successful dismissals. India also had three all-outs during the first half of the game which allowed them to go into halftime with a 22-point lead.

The Japanese side was able to improve their tactics following the first half and therefore, they were able to compete more effectively with the Indian side in the second half. However, as well as being disciplined, India’s defense stepped up when needed most. For example, India had an impressive tackle that prevented Japan from continuing their run.

With a final score of 49-24, this reflected how well India played during their first half and how well they were able to keep ahead of the other team when there was some pressure on them.

Japan vs India Kabaddi Women’s Match Scorecard

India’s women’s team delivered another convincing performance against Japan on September 24, 2026. The Indian side won 50–25 to complete its Group A campaign with three victories from three matches.

Score Details	Japan	India
First-half score	13	32
Second-half points	12	18
Final score	25	50
Result	Lost	Won

India had a 32-13 lead at halftime. They scored 23 out points, 5 bonus points, and 2 all-outs in the first half.

In the second half, Japan showed some resistance to India and reduced the deficit a little. India still scored points through both their offensive and defensive play, and won the match by 25 points.

Winning this game earned India a spot in the women’s semifinals, completing an undefeated run through the group stage.

Key Players and Performances in Japan vs India Kabaddi

Ashu Malik

Ashu Malik was a key attacking player for the Indian men’s team as they took home the win. He had an initial 3 point super raid that gave India some momentum and put Japan under pressure at the beginning of the match.

Arjun Deshwal

Throughout India’s men’s campaign, Arjun Deshwal contributed significantly to the attack of the team. He was able to use his raiding skills and experience to keep the defense of other teams under pressure.

Devank Dalal

Devank Dalal added to India’s attacking options, which helped the team create scoring opportunities, while maintaining their lead over Japan.

Sunil Kumar

Sunil Kumar, captain of the Indian men’s team, guided them through their title defense. He was instrumental in providing the team with direction, and the team’s ability to coordinate defensively contributed greatly to the success of India’s first game.

Pushpa Rana

The captain of the Indian Women’s Team for the Asian Games in 2026 was Pushpa Rana. As captain, she led India to win matches against Bangladesh, Iran, and Japan to finish first in their group without losing any games.

India’s Performance in the Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi Tournament

The Indian teams went into the Asian Games 2026 with a goal to keep their titles from the previous Asian Games in both the Men’s and Women’s competitions. The wins over Japan were part of a successful run through the preliminary round for both Indian teams.

The Men’s team beat South Korea (63-31) and Bangladesh (48-25) prior to playing against Chinese Taipei to finish the group stage. After that, they went through all of the knockout round matches and defeated Iran (40-34) in the Men’s Final on September 26, 2026.

The Women’s Team won against Bangladesh with a score of 42 to 21, and against Iran with a score of 37 to 23, prior to winning against Japan with a score of 50 to 25. Subsequently, the Women’s Team defeated Nepal in the semifinals, and defeated Iran again with a score of 37 to 34 in the finals, allowing the Women’s Team to keep their Women’s Kabaddi Gold Medal.

The 2026 Asian Games were yet again a very successful event for India’s kabaddi team. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished in first place.

Japan vs India Kabaddi: Men’s and Women’s Results Compared

The two matches shared several similarities. India took a large first-half lead in both games and maintained its advantage after the interval.

Comparison	Men’s Match	Women’s Match
India’s final score	49	50
Japan’s final score	24	25
Winning margin	25 points	25 points
India’s half-time lead	22 points	19 points
Match outcome	India won	India won

The men’s team scored one fewer point than the women’s team, while Japan scored one fewer point in the men’s match. Both Indian teams therefore finished with exactly the same winning margin.

Why Japan vs India Kabaddi Is Important

The Japan-India kabaddi matches showed how much of an impact good raiding, organized defense, and good teamwork have on international competition.

India’s wins on the group stage allowed for momentum to be built towards defending both of India’s Asian Games championships. Japan was able to use the matches with India as a way to see how well their players would fare against a top-ranked kabaddi nation.

At the same time as providing Japan with a great opportunity to gain experience of a major international tournament, playing at home allowed them to improve on their second half performance against India in the men’s game. This showed that they were capable of changing the way that they approached the game, although India still had a significant lead.

In addition to its popularity in many Asian countries, Kabaddi has been gaining traction on an international scale through matches played by established teams (e.g., India) against developing competitors (e.g., Japan).

Read More: Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi || Pushpa Rana Leads India’s Gold-Medal Mission at Asian Games 2026

FAQs About Japan vs India Kabaddi

Conclusion

In the Asian Games 2026, the Indian Men’s and Women’s Kabaddi Teams played against the Japanese Men’s and Women’s Teams. Both matches resulted in clear wins for the Indian Teams. On September 21, the Indian Men’s Team beat the Japanese Men’s Team with a score of 49-24. On September 24, the Indian Women’s Team beat the Japanese Women’s Team with a score of 50-25. The Indian Teams were able to achieve these successful outcomes through their strong first-half play, their ability to raid effectively, and their coordinated defensive strategies.

India had a great result in both events by winning the gold medals after beating Iran in both the men’s and women’s final. The wins over Japan were very significant as they contributed to India’s success at the Asian Games and showed that Indian kabaddi is becoming one of the best on an international level.