Hangzhou: The Indian men’s kabaddi team defeated Chinese Taipei 50-27 to confirm their place in the semifinals at the Asian Games 2023 here on Thursday.
After this win, India is perched on the top of charts in Pool A with three wins in as many matches. Chinese Taipei is behind India in the points table with three points from four matches and are also assured a place in the semifinals.
India, the seven-time kabaddi champions and runners-up 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 74 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 in 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.
