Japan inches closer to last four berth

Japan notched its second win in as many matches to enhance its chances of advancing to the semifinals of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup

Players in action during the match between Japan and Poland in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Coached by Arjuna Award winner Ashok Shinde, Japan notched its second win in as many matches to enhance its chances of advancing to the semifinals of the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup at 'The Arena by TransStadia' on Wednesday.

In a low-scoring Group B match, the Japanese team comprising university students beat Poland 33-22. With ten points, the South East Asian team is placed No. 2 behind Iran. Skipper Masayuki Shimokawa scored four raid points and three tackle points and Kazuhiro Takano proved to be a very successful raider with seven points.

In the second match, Australia registered its first win in an international competition after outplaying the South American team Argentina in a Group A match. Australia excelled in attack and defense. Kuldeep Singh, skipper Brown Campbell and Adam Schneider contributed heavily with their aggressive display during their raids and Jasvir collected 11 tackle points to swell the tally. Australia was clueless in its first two matches against India and England, but against a team which is also trying to understand the basics and nuances of the game, Australia turned out to be far too superior.

The results:

Group A: Australia bt Argentina 68-45, Group B: Japan bt Poland 33-22.