By Sachit Subba • Other Sports • Sep 24, 2026 13:28 PM • 356 views
On September 24 in Nagoya, Japan, Nepal's women's kabaddi team beat Sri Lanka 34-25 in its Group B match to reach the semifinals and secure at least a bronze medal for the second straight Asian Games. The men's team also finished its last group match with a strong 73-52 win over Malaysia at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium.
Nepal's women's team finished second in Group B and advanced to the semifinals, where it is expected to play the winner of Group A. The tournament draw indicates that India will face Nepal in the semifinals, subject to the outcome of the group stage. In the other semifinal, Chinese Taipei, the winners of Group B, will play Iran, the runner-up in Group A.
Nepal's medal continues its success at the 19th Asian Games, where the women's kabaddi team also secured bronze. Captain Manmati Bista's promise at the start of the tournament that Nepal would return home with a medal has now come true, with the team earning a place on the podium.
Nepal's path to beating Sri Lanka was far from simple. At first, the team struggled to gain control, and Sri Lanka did hold the lead early in the match. Nepal then took the lead in the first half, but a failed attack soon allowed the opponents to regain momentum.
The contest was closely fought as Nepal's raiders struggled to convert chances into points. Still, the defending side kept Nepal in contention and continued to apply pressure. Nepal looked for chances to launch a full-scale, match-deciding raid, and captain Bista delivered, causing Sri Lanka to collapse.
Nepal capitalised on the breakthrough, maintained its composure and entered halftime with a lead according to the official match scorecard. The team added another strong second half to finish on 34, while Sri Lanka managed fewer points after the interval and ended on 25.
Earlier on Thursday, Nepal's men's team ended its group-stage campaign with a 73-52 win against Malaysia. They led 37-21 at the break, then increased their lead by 36 points in the second half, finishing with 58 outs, seven bonus points and eight all-outs.
Malaysia obtained 52 points, consisting of 35 outs, 15 bonus points and two all-outs. Nepal's win provided a solid conclusion to its four-match group programme. The women's semi-final now offers a chance to win a second consecutive bronze medal at the Asian Games and to progress further.
In other events, athlete Santoshi Shrestha finished her campaign in 11th position in the women's 10000 m category at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.
