India begin Asian Games kabaddi title defence with win over Bangladesh

India began their women's kabaddi title defence at the Asian Games with a 42-21 win over Bangladesh in their Group A opener. Sanju Devi led the attack as India maintained control throughout and secured a convincing victory in Aichi-Nagoya

Hyderabad: India began the defence of their women’s kabaddi title at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a 42-21 win over Bangladesh in their opening Group A fixture at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Monday morning.

India produced a dominant all-round display to defeat Bangladesh, combining a disciplined defensive setup with consistent attacking pressure, led by Sanju Devi’s contribution in offence.

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India established control early, making it difficult for Bangladesh to reach the bonus line while regularly finding points through successful raids. Bangladesh captain Sraboni Mollick kept her side on the scoreboard, but India’s defence continued to limit their opportunities. Manisha Kumari was particularly effective from the left cover, while Sonali Shingate and captain Pushpa Rana added valuable points in attack as India secured an All-Out and took a 21-10 lead into the break.

India carried the same intensity into the second half, with Sanju Devi and Pooja finding quick hand touches and the defence maintaining a high line to put pressure on Bangladesh’s raiders. The approach paid off as India inflicted another All-Out, while Sanju Devi continued to keep the scoreboard moving with successful raids.

Bangladesh mounted a brief fightback, with Sraboni and the other raiders stringing together consecutive points, while their defence also began to slow India’s momentum. The gap narrowed with five minutes remaining, but India responded through Sanju Devi, who produced a series of successful raids to restore a sizeable advantage and close out a comfortable 42-21 victory.

India’s 42 points included 11 bonus points and four All-Out points, while Bangladesh managed five bonus points and a single Super Tackle point.

The result gives India a winning start to their title defence, with the women’s team looking to extend their run against formidable Iran at 8:30 am on September 23.