Thailand Defeat Pakistan 48-45 in Asian Games Kabaddi

Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail

Pakistan suffered a 48-45 defeat against Thailand in their Group B men’s kabaddi match at the Asian Games on Wednesday.

The closely contested game was played at the Tokai Citizen Gymnasium, with Thailand securing their second consecutive victory in the competition.

Pakistan started strongly and went into halftime with a narrow 32-31 lead. However, Thailand improved after the break and scored 17 points in the second half, compared with Pakistan’s 13, to complete the comeback.

Pakistan had begun their Asian Games campaign with a convincing 65-22 win over Malaysia before recording another victory against Nepal.

Thailand, meanwhile, opened their Group B campaign with a 59-48 victory over Nepal before overcoming Pakistan.

The result means Pakistan will need a win in their final Group B match against Iran on Thursday to strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stage. The top two teams from each group will advance to the next round.

Pakistan Kabaddi Federation (PKF) secretary Mohammad Sarwar said the team struggled to maintain its performance after halftime.

“Our players did not play the way they should have after halftime,” Sarwar told The Express Tribune from Japan.

He also pointed to the importance of international match experience, saying Pakistan has had fewer opportunities to play overseas compared with teams such as Thailand.

The Pakistan team will now turn its attention to Thursday’s match against Iran, which will have an important bearing on the group standings.