India Men and Women Clinch Inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship Gold
India captured both championship trophies at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, according to reporting by Sportstar. In the men's gold medal match, the host nation overpowered Sri Lanka 54-20 to finish the international competition with an unblemished eight-match winning streak, NDTV reported. Earlier in the evening, the Indian women's lineup earned the inaugural championship title with an emphatic 35-15 victory against Uganda, Times of India noted. The nine-day competition was organized under the authority of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and sanctioned by the International Kabaddi Federation.
Historic Dual Championship Triumph in Ahmedabad
In the men's final, the squad captained by Surjeet Singh established an early advantage before dominating the final ten minutes of the first half with a 15-2 scoring run, NDTV reported. India entered the half-time intermission holding a commanding 30-10 margin after enforcing multiple all-outs against the visiting defense. Raider Aditya Shinde led the home side's scoring with ten points, comprising six touch points and four bonus points, Times of India reported. Teammate Bharat Hooda contributed eight raid points, while Pankaj Mohite and vice-captain Naveen Kumar registered six and five points, respectively.
Kabaddi is not on the Commonwealth Games programme, making the 2026 Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship a separate standalone first edition for Commonwealth nations, according to Pro Kabaddi League.
The inaugural championship aims to boost kabaddi's bid for inclusion in the Commonwealth Games, with Ahmedabad slated to host the 2030 Games, according to Pro Kabaddi League.
Men's Final Dominance Against Sri Lanka
Defender Yogesh Dahiya anchored the men's backline with five tackle points without missing a single challenge, maintaining tactical control as Sri Lanka managed only 11 raid points, Times of India noted. Dukan Maduwantha provided resistance for the islanders, collecting six tackle points to emerge as Sri Lanka's leading performer. Across the tournament, the Indian men amassed 380 total points while conceding 193, having eliminated Bangladesh 56-27 in the semifinals before securing the final win. Following the conclusion of the match, Surjeet Singh and Naveen Kumar paraded the national flag around the arena to celebrate with the home supporters.
Across the match, India made 24 successful raids from 40 attempts, according to Pro Kabaddi League.
Defensive Command and Tournament Point Statistics
In the women's summit clash, captain Nidhi Sharma guided her team to victory to conclude a flawless tournament run of six consecutive victories, Times of India reported. Lead raider Sakshi delivered a standout individual display, scoring nine points from ten raids to finish the competition with 52 tournament points. Raider Anu registered six points while defensive partners Ritu and Suman contributed four tackle points apiece to suppress Uganda's attacking incursions. Ugandan raider Nakayonga Shirat scored the majority of her side's points, but the visitors were unable to halt India's progression toward the gold medal.
Spectators were able to watch the championship matches at Veer Savarkar Sports Complex free of charge with prior online registration through Thumpn, according to Pro Kabaddi League.