India Women Set Up Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship Final Against Uganda After Dominant Semi-Final Win

India Women booked their place in the final of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 with a commanding 39-14 victory over Sri Lanka Women on Day Eight at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Friday. 

They will face Uganda Women in the title clash after the African side edged Kenya Women 23-21 in a dramatic semi-final that was decided in the closing stages. The two finalists will meet on October 31 at 7:30 PM IST, setting up a rematch of their group-stage encounter, which India won convincingly 41-18.

While India produced a largely one-sided performance to secure their place in the final, Uganda had to withstand a late Kenyan fightback to reach the championship match.

Uganda Women secured their place in the final with a hard-fought 23-21 victory over Kenya in the first semi-final. The contest remained competitive throughout, with Uganda establishing a 12-9 advantage at half-time. They appeared to be moving towards a comfortable finish when they extended their lead to 18-12 with seven minutes remaining.

Kenya, however, refused to surrender. Led by an outstanding performance from Lavenda Odhiambo, they mounted a strong late challenge and outscored Uganda 9-5 in the closing seven minutes.

Odhiambo finished with 16 raid points from 25 raids, including six bonus points. Remarkably, 11 of those points came in the second half as she attempted to bring Kenya back into contention. Lizzeanne Owino contributed two tackle points. Uganda's attacking effort was led by Nakayongo Shirat and Nalwoga Nahia, who scored eight points each. Nahia was particularly influential after coming off the bench, collecting all eight of her points in the second half. Captain Nalubega Olivia added three tackle points.

Uganda registered 17 raid points and four tackle points, while also inflicting one All-Out. Kenya's late scoring surge made the finish tense, but Uganda's first-half advantage ultimately proved decisive.

With both teams level on raid points, two factors separated the sides: Uganda's All-Out and their perfect record in do-or-die raids, converting all five attempts. Those contributions proved crucial in a contest where the margin of victory was just two points.

India Women delivered a much more emphatic performance in the second semi-final, defeating Sri Lanka 39-14 to advance to the title match. India established control early and went into half-time with a substantial 24-7 lead. Their combination of attacking efficiency and defensive discipline left Sri Lanka with little opportunity to build momentum.

Sakshi was India's leading scorer with 11 points, collecting eight through raids and three through tackles. Captain Nidhi Sharma also produced an influential performance, scoring 10 points from 12 raids, including two bonus points.

The defensive unit played an equally important role. Ritu anchored the defence with four tackle points, while Suman contributed three. India's overall tally included 21 raid points and 12 tackle points, with the team inflicting three All-Outs on Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka struggled to generate consistent attacking returns. Diluxshana led their scoring with six points, five of which came through bonus points. Priyavarna also produced a Super Tackle, but the team managed only eight successful raids across the entire match.

The difference in attacking output was evident throughout the contest. India's ability to score regularly through raids, while maintaining pressure in defence, ensured that Sri Lanka could not mount a meaningful comeback after the interval.

The 25-point victory completed a convincing route into the final for the defending favourites.

Nidhi Sharma expects a different challenge against Uganda

India captain Nidhi Sharma expressed her happiness at reaching the final but also acknowledged that Uganda would present a different challenge in the second meeting between the teams. "I'm very happy, it feels really good to have reached the final. We have played Uganda before, but they will change their strategy because it's the second time we're facing them, so it will be a good match," Nidhi said after the semi-final.

Her comments underline the tactical challenge awaiting India. The group-stage victory provides a useful reference point, but Uganda's narrow semi-final win over Kenya demonstrated their ability to compete under pressure.

India will need to maintain the attacking efficiency and defensive organisation that proved decisive against Sri Lanka. Uganda, meanwhile, will look to build on the resilience they showed in the closing stages of their semi-final.

The women's final on October 31 will bring together two teams that have taken different routes to the championship match. India arrive after a dominant semi-final performance, with Sakshi, Nidhi Sharma and the defensive unit all making significant contributions. Uganda have had to negotiate a much tighter contest, relying on their raid leaders and composure in crucial moments to overcome Kenya.

India will enter the final with the confidence of their earlier 41-18 group-stage win, but the championship match will demand another disciplined performance.

With the title now within reach, the focus shifts to the final encounter at 7:30 PM IST. India will aim to convert their strong tournament campaign into the championship trophy, while Uganda will be determined to overturn their earlier defeat and claim the title.