Nepal enter women’s kabaddi semis, secure at least a bronze

KATHMANDU: Nepal has secured at least a bronze medal in women’s kabaddi at the 2026 Asian Games after advancing to the semifinals with a 34-25 victory over Sri Lanka on Thursday.

Nepal edged Sri Lanka in the final Group B match to finish as the group runner-up and reach the semifinals for the second consecutive Asian Games.

Nepal defeated Thailand 46-43 in its opening Group B fixture on Tuesday. However, they were under pressure to win the last group-stage match against Sri Lanka after suffering a 37-18 defeat to Chinese Taipei on Wednesday.

The victory over Sri Lanka secured Nepal’s place in the last four and guaranteed the team at least a bronze medal, as both semifinal winners will advance to the gold-medal match while the losing teams receive bronze medals.

Nepal will face Group A winner India in the semifinal on Friday, while Chinese Taipei will meet Group B runner-up Iran.

The women’s kabaddi in the Asian Games featured eight teams. Group A consisted of India, Iran, Bangladesh and Japan, while Group B had Chinese Taipei, Nepal, Thailand and Sri Lanka.