Hangzhou: The Indian men's kabaddi team began their campaign for the title at the Asian Games 2023 with a clinical 55-18 win over Bangladesh at the Xiaoshan Guali Sports Centre here on Tuesday.
With the win, India climbed to the top of the Asian Games 2023 kabaddi Group A points table.
Seasoned raider Naveen Kumar scored a super raid early to lay the foundation in the first half.
Arjun Deshwal also took advantage, garnering quick points as India administered an all-out on Bangladesh within five minutes to lead 11-1.
Bangladesh got the Indian captain Pawan Sehrawat and Naveen Kumar out with super tackles to stay in the game.
However, Bangladesh failed to up the ante as they lacked in successful raids and bonus points. This helped India to a 15-point increase at 24-9 at halftime.
India raised the stakes in the second half by drafting in Sachin Tanwar and Akash Shinde who exacted three all outs in the second half to further widen the gap between the two sides.
Captain Mohammad Tuhin Tarafder and Sha Mohammed Shahan were splendid, Sachin produced a series of successful raids, including a super raid to take the scoreline to 33-10.
Bangladesh continued to milk points through an occasional tackle. However, it proved insufficient against a well-balanced Indian side that looked consistent throughout the match.
Next, the Indian kabaddi team will play Thailand in their second match on Wednesday and take on Chinese Taipei in their final group match on Thursday. The top two teams from the group will qualify for the semi-finals on Friday.
The men’s final in Kabaddi at the Asian Games 2023 will also be played on Friday. (UNI)