Asian Games 2026 Kabaddi: Bangladesh and Pakistan top their groups after Day 1

When the scoreboard read 39-35, it felt like the distance between Bangladesh's raiders and Korea's defenders was being measured in decisions, not just points. In the final ten minutes, Bangladesh converted three do-or-die raids, none of which appeared separately on the scoresheet. The ledger never lied, but it never told the whole story either. Today, on Day 1 of the kabaddi event at the Asian Games 2026, five group-stage matches were completed. The day opened with Bangladesh against South Korea and ended with Bangladesh beating Chinese Taipei by one point. In between, Thailand beat Nepal 59-48, India beat hosts Japan 49-24, and Pakistan demolished Malaysia 65-22 in the evening. At the end of the day, Bangladesh and Pakistan topped their respective groups. South Korea's Jang Kun Lee is a name around which many stories are built. The experienced raider was on the mat, yet his team could not win. Bangladesh won 39-35, but Korea managed just 3 points from their final ten raids — a statistic not in the ledger. Bangladesh's cover defence repeatedly sent Korea's main raiding weapons back empty-handed. That 4-point win was the result of those empty hands. Thailand's 59-48 win surprised many. But before being surprised, look at how systematically Thailand has been working in kabaddi. Two or three new talents in defence, quick footwork in raiding; this combination worked well against Nepal. The 11-point margin sent a message beyond the score: Thailand did not come here just to participate. India beat Japan 49-24. As hosts, Japan felt the pressure, and their defence often crumbled in front of India's raiding line. A 25-point margin is excellent for India, but I want to see how many tackle points India collected and how many raid-outs occurred. These fine details will matter in the next group match. Pakistan's 65-22 win was the biggest margin of the day. Some will say Pakistan are strong. But this margin against Malaysia reveals the imbalance of the group structure, not Pakistan's final strength. As the tournament advances, Pakistan's defence awaits its real test. The final match of the day was the most thrilling. Bangladesh beat Chinese Taipei 48-47. A one-point win reads simple on the scoresheet, but is exactly that difficult on the mat. Chinese Taipei are no longer an easy opponent; finishing the match against them is a major asset for Bangladesh. Who finished which raid in the 17th minute was not shown on the TV scorecard. I heard the match from two thousand kilometres away, through a phone. At the end of the day, the points table: Bangladesh top their group with two wins in two, Pakistan top their group with one win, Thailand and India also started with wins. But this table is not yet worth trusting. The big margins will affect the remaining group matches. Many see big-margin wins as proof of strength. I look at them with suspicion. When a team like Pakistan wins by 43 points, it is the defensive cohesion that matters, not the offensive flash. Bangladesh's one-point win cannot be called weakness; it proves they can close out a match under pressure. Sixty-four matches can blur together, but the sharpness of that one-point win remains. On Day 2, I want to see the depth of Bangladesh's raiding bench. The raiders who finished under pressure against Korea — can they do it again when the table pressure doubles? Topping the group in the Asian Games is not just a good start; keeping that start is the real game. The ledger has been updated, but the story is still beginning.