Nepal wins bronze in women's kabaddi at 20th Asian Games

Nepal's women's kabaddi team secured a bronze medal at the 20th Asian Games held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The semi-final encounter took place at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium, where the Nepali side faced India. The match concluded with India emerging as the winner, limiting Nepal to the third-place finish in the tournament. The final score of the semi-final was 48-24 in favour of India. The host nation controlled the first half, leading 31-17 before the break. In the second half, India extended their advantage, finishing the period 17-7 ahead. This performance ensured India's progression to the final match of the competition. During the group stage, Nepal recorded mixed results. The team defeated Thailand in one match and Sri Lanka in the final group-stage game to secure a semi-final spot. However, they suffered a defeat against Chinese Taipei. These results positioned Nepal for the semi-final clash against India. This bronze medal is the second achieved by Nepal at the 20th Asian Games. It mirrors a previous outcome from the 19th Asian Games in China in 2023, where Nepal also lost the semi-final to India. The consistency in semi-final results highlights the competitive gap between the two teams in this event.