Asian Games 2023 kabaddi: India seal semi-final spot with 50-27 win over Chinese Taipei
The Indian men’s kabaddi team is also assured a medal with a place in the semi-finals. India will play Japan in their final group match later in the day.
The Indian men’s kabaddi team beat Chinese Taipei 50-27 to confirm their place in the semi-finals at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou, the People’s Republic of China on Thursday.
The win also took India to the top of the Asian Games 2023 kabaddi Group A points table with three wins from three matches. Chinese Taipei are second with three wins from four matches but are also assured a place in the semis.
The men’s semi-finals in kabaddi at the Asian Games 2023 will be played on Friday. The losing semi-finalists will also be awarded bronze medals.
India, the seven-time kabaddi champions and bronze medallists in 2018, will play Japan in their final group match later in the day. If India don’t lose that match by a margin of over 70 points, they will take on Pakistan for a place in the final.
In a top-of-the-table clash at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre, India started against Chinese Taipei with an attacking intent. Captain Pawan Sehrawat’s raids helped India inflict an all-out early and race to a 10-2 lead.
The second all-out on Chinese Taipei soon followed. Though the lead got bigger, India were reduced to just one man on the mat at the stroke of half-time courtesy of a super raid from Zheng-Wei Chen.
Despite trailing 28-12, Chinese Taipei entered the second half with a renewed vigour and handed India their first all-out at the Asian Games 2023.
Chinese Taipei stayed afloat in the first five minutes after the break. However, India regrouped quickly to inflict a third all-out on Chinese Taipei. Sachin followed it up with a super raid and India eventually won the match by a margin of 23 points.