Asian Games 2026: India Crush South Korea 63-31 to Continue Winning Start in Kabaddi

India’s men’s kabaddi team continued its unbeaten campaign at the Asian Games 2026 with a commanding 63-31 victory over South Korea in its second Group A fixture at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium on Tuesday.

Captain Sunil Kumar led India as the defending champions once again produced a dominant all-round performance. India seized control early and maintained its advantage throughout the contest, combining an effective raiding unit with a defence that repeatedly disrupted South Korea’s attacking efforts.

The victory follows India’s opening Group A win over Japan and puts the team in a strong position as it continues its pursuit of another Asian Games gold medal.

India immediately imposed its authority on the contest, with the raiders finding regular scoring opportunities while the defence restricted South Korea’s ability to build sustained attacks. The Indian raiding unit accumulated 38 out points across the match, compared with 23 for South Korea. India also secured 17 bonus points, highlighting the consistency with which its raiders were able to return from the opposition half with points.

The defensive unit complemented that attacking output by repeatedly stopping Korean raids and limiting their opportunities to score touch points.

South Korea managed only 10 touch points in the first half, as India’s defenders successfully closed down spaces and prevented the Korean raiders from finding a rhythm.

The gulf between the two teams became particularly evident during the opening half. India raced to a 34-14 lead at the interval, building the advantage through 23 out points and seven bonus points. India also inflicted two All-Outs during the first half, further extending the gap and putting South Korea under significant pressure.

The Korean team struggled to respond whenever India threatened to put players on the mat, while India's raiders continued to collect points consistently. The 20-point half-time advantage effectively placed India in control of the match, leaving South Korea with a significant challenge to produce a comeback after the break.

Korea Show More Fight, But India Stay in Control

South Korea improved its scoring output in the second half, but the change was not enough to alter the direction of the contest. India added another 29 points after the restart, while South Korea managed 17. The Indian side inflicted another All-Out in the second half and continued to collect bonus points, eventually taking its tally to 17 for the match.

The Korean raiders showed greater resistance after the interval, but India's defensive structure remained effective enough to prevent the opposition from making significant inroads into the deficit. Rather than allowing the large lead to narrow, India continued to score at a steady rate and maintained control until the final whistle.

The 63-31 scoreline reflected India's performance across both departments. The raiding unit provided the majority of the scoring through 38 out points, while the defence ensured South Korea could not establish the momentum required to challenge India's lead.

The two All-Outs in the first half were particularly important in creating the initial separation, while the additional All-Out after the break ensured that South Korea remained under pressure throughout the second period. India's 17 bonus points also demonstrated the consistency of its attacking approach.

For South Korea, the 31-point total represented an improvement after half-time, but the team was unable to overcome the enormous deficit created during the opening 20 minutes.

The victory gives India two wins from two matches in Group A. The defending champions had already defeated host nation Japan in their opening fixture before producing another strong performance against South Korea.

India’s back-to-back victories have placed the team firmly in contention to finish at the top of the group as the preliminary stage continues. The team will next face Bangladesh on September 23, with another opportunity to build momentum before the knockout stages.

Chasing Another Asian Games Title

India enters the 2026 Asian Games with a strong record in men’s kabaddi and is seeking its ninth Asian Games gold medal in the last 10 editions, according to the supplied match report.

The team’s opening two performances have provided a strong start to that campaign.

Against Japan, India began its title defence with a convincing victory. Against South Korea, the challenge was met with another dominant display, this time combining sustained raiding pressure with an effective defensive structure.

The 63-31 scoreline also underlined the consistency of India's performance across the two halves. A 20-point advantage at half-time was followed by another 29-point scoring effort after the break, ensuring there was no late collapse or opportunity for South Korea to return to the contest.

With Bangladesh next on September 23, India will look to complete the Group A stage with another victory and carry its unbeaten record into the decisive phase of the Asian Games kabaddi competition.