Defending champions India began their women’s kabaddi campaign at the 2026 Asian Games with a convincing 42-21 victory over Bangladesh in Aichi-Nagoya. India controlled the Group A match at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium with aggressive raids and a disciplined defensive performance.
Sanju Devi led India’s attack with a series of successful raids, while captain Pushpa Rana, Sonali Shingate and Pooja also contributed important points. Manisha Kumari played a key role in defence from the left-cover position and helped prevent Bangladesh from building momentum.
India established control in the opening minutes by maintaining a strong defensive formation and denying Bangladesh regular access to bonus points. The Indian raiders consistently returned with points, placing the opposition under pressure.
Bangladesh captain Sraboni Mollick attempted to keep her team in the contest with successful raids, but India’s defence limited her scoring opportunities. Manisha’s tackles and the attacking contributions from Pushpa and Sonali helped India inflict the first All-Out of the match.
India entered halftime with a comfortable 21-10 advantage. The score reflected their dominance in both attack and defence, with Bangladesh struggling to stop India’s raiders or break through the high defensive line.
India continued with the same intensity after the interval. Sanju and Pooja secured points through quick hand touches, while the defenders pushed forward to restrict Bangladesh’s raiders. The pressure resulted in another All-Out and extended India’s lead.
Bangladesh produced a brief recovery in the second half, with Sraboni and her teammates scoring consecutive raid points. Their defenders also managed to slow India’s scoring rate, allowing Bangladesh to reduce the gap with five minutes remaining.
India responded through Sanju Devi, who delivered a series of successful raids to regain control and remove any possibility of a late comeback. Her performance helped the defending champions complete a comfortable 42-21 victory. India’s total included 11 bonus points and four All-Out points. Bangladesh collected five bonus points and earned one Super Tackle point during the match.
The result gives India a confident start to their title defence and strengthens their position in Group A. The women’s team will next face Iran, one of the strongest kabaddi sides in Asia, at 8:30 am on September 23. The match is expected to provide a much tougher test for India’s defence and raiding unit.
