Pakistan Misses Asian Games Kabaddi Semifinals for First Time in History

Pakistan has been eliminated from the Asian Games men’s kabaddi competition after a 51-30 defeat to Iran in their final Group B match, marking their first time missing the semifinals in the history of their Asian Games participation. The team secured only two wins out of four group-stage matches, failing to achieve the result necessary for progression to the knockout round.

Pakistan started their campaign strongly, defeating Malaysia 65-22 and Nepal 41-15, positioning themselves favorably in Group B. However, they faced a major setback against Thailand, who defeated them 48-45 in a tightly contested game at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium. After halftime, Pakistan fell behind as Thailand scored 17 points to Pakistan’s 13 in the second half, clinching a memorable victory.

Iran had also defeated Nepal 59-48 earlier in Group B, strengthening their position. Pakistan entered their final match against Iran with the crucial understanding that a positive outcome was imperative for their semifinal hopes. Iran dominated the match, winning 51-30 and ending Pakistan’s campaign prematurely. This elimination is a significant setback for Pakistan, a team typically among the top kabaddi performers in the Asian Games.

Kabaddi has been an official Asian Games sport since 1990, and Pakistan had reached the semifinals in every edition since its introduction. Although Pakistan has won seven bronze medals and two silver medals in kabaddi at the Asian Games, this marks their first-ever medal-less campaign in the sport. The result brings an end to Pakistan’s long-standing tradition of semifinal appearances and represents their first medal-less Asian Games kabaddi campaign.