Kazakhstan's men's water polo team secured a dominant victory over Hong Kong in the second round of the Asian Games in Japan, winning 29-15 (8-3, 9-4, 6-1, 6-7), according to infohub.kz.

A day earlier, in their opening match of the water polo tournament, the Kazakhs lost to the host nation. The five-time Asian Games champions fell to the six-time champions 19-11.

Today, the squad under Montenegrin coach Nemanja Knežević performed far better. Kazakhstan led 8-3 after the first period. By the end of the third quarter, they had extended their lead to 15 goals. In the end, they claimed victory by nearly double the score — 29-15.

All eight participating teams advance to the quarterfinals. Group-stage matches only determine seeding for the playoff bracket.

ASIAN GAMES 2026. Water Polo. Men. Group A: Thailand vs Hong Kong 15-24, Japan vs Kazakhstan 19-11, Kazakhstan vs Hong Kong 29-15. Group B: South Korea vs China 15-14, Iran vs Singapore 19-8.

The men's water polo tournament at the Asian Games has been held since 1951. Kazakh water polo players have won it six times (1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014, 2018). They also claimed bronze twice (2006, 2022).

The XX Summer Asian Games officially opened on September 19 and will conclude on October 4. Athletes from 45 countries are competing for 460 medal events. Kazakhstan's team at the 2026 Asian Games comprises 558 athletes in 35 sports.

On the first day of the Games, Kazakhstan won four gold medals. Cyclists Rinata Sultanova and Alexey Lutsenko became champions, along with karate athletes Zholaman Bigabyl and Sofya Berultseva. MMA fighter Yerkingali Burkutalin added a fifth gold to the team's tally. A sixth came from his mixed martial arts teammate Kadyrbek Shynbayev. On September 23, Lutsenko became a two-time Asian Games champion. The eighth gold was claimed on September 24 by rowers Vladislav Yakovlev and Ivan Chernukhin in the men's coxless pairs. Yassmina Toksanbayeva won the ninth gold today in race walking.

After seven days of competition, Kazakhstan ranked fifth in the unofficial medal standings.