Ahmedabad turned into a celebration ground on Saturday evening as India swept both titles at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026. The men thrashed Sri Lanka 54-20 in the final, hours after the women beat Uganda 35-15 to lift their own crown at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. Two finals, two gold medals, and not a single defeat along the way.
It was the kind of double that rarely comes neatly packaged. The final evening turned dominance into history: India became the first ever champions of the event in both categories, in front of a home crowd that stayed loud from the first raid to the last whistle.
Men run away with the final
The men’s final was effectively decided long before the end. India led 15-8 with ten minutes of the first half still to play, having already inflicted an all-out on Sri Lanka. Then came a brutal stretch: India outscored their opponents 15-2 to go into half-time ahead 30-10, with a second all-out arriving in the closing five minutes of the half.
The second half followed the same script. India added two more all-outs, the last of them in the final five minutes, and took the half 24-10. Sri Lanka’s raiders never found a way through. They managed just two successful raids from 21 attempts in the first half, and finished with only seven successful raids from 41 across the match. India, by contrast, converted 24 of their 40 raids.
Aditya Shinde was the star of the night. He scored a Super 10, picking up 10 raid points from 14 raids, including four bonus points. Bharat Hooda added eight raid points, all in the second half, and was not tackled once in seven raids. Pankaj Mohite chipped in with six points, vice-captain Naveen Kumar added five, and Yogesh Dahiya led the defence with a High 5, making five successful tackles from five attempts, all in the first half.
India finished with 30 raid points and 14 tackle points, inflicted four all-outs, and did not concede even one. Sri Lanka’s top scorer was Maduwantha, with six tackle points, but their attack could not get going. Sri Lanka failed seven of their nine do-or-die raids.
Women set the tone earlier in the evening
The women’s final had already given the crowd its first reason to celebrate. India beat Uganda 35-15, controlling the contest from the start. Sakshi top-scored with nine points, Anu Sen made six, and captain Nidhi Sharma added five as India inflicted two all-outs and dominated the tackle count 20-14.
That win mattered beyond the scoreline. It meant the men’s team walked out later knowing a double was on. In the women’s competition, Kenya and Sri Lanka took bronze. In the men’s event, Sri Lanka took silver, with Kenya and Bangladesh sharing bronze.
Eight wins from eight, and the numbers behind them
India’s men’s campaign was perfect: eight wins from eight matches. They topped Group A with six victories, beating England 46-26, Uganda 44-30, Malaysia 37-23, Nigeria 50-23, Tanzania 48-20 and Sri Lanka 45-24. A 56-27 semi-final win over Bangladesh followed, before the 54-20 final.
The overall numbers underline how one-sided the run was. India scored 380 points across the tournament and conceded just 193, and no opponent managed more than 30 points against them in a single match.
- Men’s final: India 54-20 Sri Lanka, at Ahmedabad
- Women’s final: India 35-15 Uganda, earlier on Saturday evening
- Men’s star: Aditya Shinde, Super 10 with 10 raid points from 14 raids
- Men’s campaign: eight wins from eight, 380 points scored, 193 conceded
- Venue: Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Ahmedabad
What the double means for kabaddi
Kabaddi has long been India’s game, but a Commonwealth championship gives it a different stage. Teams from across the Commonwealth turned up in Ahmedabad, and the tournament gave newer kabaddi nations a proper benchmark. For India, the challenge was not just to win, but to win in a way that showed the gap between the sport’s home and the chasing pack. On Saturday evening, that gap looked wide.
Aditya Shinde thanked the Ahmedabad crowd after the final and said the celebration was already under way. For the players, the next step is keeping this standard as the opposition improves. For the fans, Saturday evening will be remembered as the night India did not just win a new tournament, but owned it from start to finish.
FAQs
Who won the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
India won both titles at the inaugural edition in Ahmedabad, beating Sri Lanka in the men’s final and Uganda in the women’s final.
What was the score in the men’s final?
India beat Sri Lanka 54-20, leading 30-10 at half-time after inflicting two all-outs in the first half.
Who was the star of the men’s final?
Aditya Shinde scored a Super 10, with 10 raid points from 14 raids, including four bonus points.
What was the score in the women’s final?
India beat Uganda 35-15 earlier on Saturday evening, with Sakshi top-scoring on nine points.
Where was the tournament held?
The inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 was held at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.
India arrived in Ahmedabad as favourites and left as the first ever double champions of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship. On this evidence, the rest of the Commonwealth has some catching up to do.
