India Men and Women Begin Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 with Convincing Wins

The Indian men defeated Uganda 44-30, while the women overcame Singapore 32-16 in Ahmedabad. Both teams will return to action on Sunday, with the men facing Malaysia and the women taking on Uganda.

India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams opened their campaigns at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 with convincing victories at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, Ahmedabad, on Saturday.

The men registered a 44-30 win over Uganda, producing a balanced performance across raiding and defence to secure a 14-point margin. The women followed with an equally assured display, defeating Singapore 32-16 to complete a successful opening day for the Indian contingent.

The results highlighted India’s strength in both departments, with the men combining an effective raiding unit with 11 successful tackles, while the women built their victory around 19 raid points and nine tackle points.

With both teams now looking ahead to their next fixtures on Sunday, the opening victories provide a positive platform for India at the inaugural edition of the championship.

India’s men faced a competitive Uganda side but maintained control to register a 44-30 victory. Shivam Patare led the Indian raiding department with eight points, comprising six touch points and two bonus points.

Naveen Kumar and Bharat contributed six raid points each, while Aditya Shinde added four points. Their contributions helped India accumulate 27 raid points during the contest. Uganda matched India’s tally of 27 raid points, demonstrating its ability to challenge the Indian defence through attacking play. Mulaire Daglas was the visitors’ leading scorer with nine raid points, while Okidi Carnold and Sengendo Jimmy contributed five points apiece.

However, the difference emerged in the defensive exchanges. India collected 11 tackle points compared with Uganda’s three, giving the hosts a decisive advantage despite the teams recording identical raid-point totals.

Ajit Pawar led India’s defensive effort with three tackle points. Nitesh, Yogesh Dahiya and Deepak S contributed two tackle points each, helping the team limit Uganda’s scoring opportunities and maintain its advantage. India also collected six all-out points, further strengthening its overall tally. Uganda’s inability to match the hosts defensively proved costly, as India converted its stronger tackling performance into a 14-point victory.

The men's result underlined the importance of balance in kabaddi. While India’s raiders provided consistent scoring, the defence ensured that Uganda could not turn its attacking output into a closer contest.

Indian women dominate Singapore

The Indian women’s team delivered a commanding performance against Singapore, securing a 32-16 victory to begin its campaign on a strong note. Sakshi led the Indian raiding department with six points, while Renuka and Anu contributed four raid points each. Nidhi Sharma added three points to the team’s total as India accumulated 19 raid points.

India’s defence also played a significant role in the victory. The team recorded nine tackle points, with Suman leading the way with four. Muskan Sharma contributed two tackle points, while Riya Kumari, Sabahi Gadhavi and Ritu added one each.

One of the most striking aspects of the contest was Singapore’s inability to register a successful tackle against India. Despite collecting 16 raid points, the Singaporean side finished without a tackle point, leaving it unable to match the Indian team’s overall scoring output.

Arthi Selvan was Singapore’s top scorer with five raid points. Anandarajan Sindini and M. Vishwalah Devi contributed four points each, but their efforts were insufficient to prevent a 16-point defeat.

India’s combination of effective raiding and disciplined defence ensured that Singapore struggled to close the gap. The 32-16 result completed a successful day for the hosts and demonstrated the women’s ability to control the contest across both departments.

The two victories shared a common feature: India’s ability to complement its attacking output with effective defensive work. In the men’s match, the teams produced identical totals of 27 raid points, but India’s 11 tackle points compared with Uganda’s three proved decisive. In the women’s contest, India’s nine tackle points and Singapore’s failure to register a successful tackle highlighted an even greater difference in defensive effectiveness.

These figures underline the importance of coordinated tackling alongside individual raiding performances. For India, the opening fixtures offered evidence that both teams can draw contributions from multiple players rather than depend on a single scorer.

The challenge now will be to sustain that balance as the level of competition develops through the championship. India’s men and women will return to action on Sunday, October 25, with both teams facing different opponents. The women are scheduled to take on Uganda at 6:45 PM IST, while the men will face Malaysia at 8:30 PM IST.

The women will aim to carry their defensive discipline into the Uganda encounter, while the men will look to build on their strong tackling performance against a Malaysian side that presents their next challenge.

Saturday’s results have given India a positive start at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship. With both teams securing convincing wins, the focus now shifts to maintaining consistency and converting their opening momentum into further success in Ahmedabad.