India vs Uganda: India beat Uganda to win inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi title

The Indian women's kabaddi team did not just win a final in Ahmedabad. They became the first-ever women's champions of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship, completing an unbeaten campaign with a convincing 35-15 victory over Uganda on Saturday, 31 October.

Led by captain Nidhi Sharma, India dominated the inaugural edition of the competition, combining attacking efficiency with a defence that proved difficult for opponents to penetrate. The final was another example of how India's strength lies not just in individual raiders but in the balance between its attacking and defensive units.

But what made this victory particularly significant was the manner in which India controlled the contest, especially during the first half.

India vs Uganda: How the final unfolded

The final, played at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, was the second meeting between India and Uganda in the tournament.

The two sides had previously faced each other in the group stage on 25 October, when India registered a 41-18 victory. Uganda, meanwhile, secured their place in the final after defeating Kenya 23-21 in a closely contested semi-final.

The final began with India taking an early advantage. Uganda initially managed to keep the scoreline competitive, but India's raiders gradually found their rhythm.

With around 10 minutes remaining in the first half, India led 7-3. What followed was the decisive passage of the match.

India outscored Uganda 15-4 during that period, inflicting an All-Out and extending their advantage to 22-7 at half-time.

The Indian defence also played a crucial role. Uganda failed to register a successful tackle in the first half, missing all nine of their attempts. India, meanwhile, recorded six successful tackles.

The second half was relatively closer. Uganda managed to edge India 7-6 in raid points after the interval, but the damage had already been done. India's second All-Out, with less than 10 minutes remaining, further strengthened their position.

India eventually closed the contest 35-15, securing a 20-point victory and the championship's inaugural women's title.

Sakshi leads the raiding department

One of the biggest contributors to India's victory was Sakshi, who finished as the highest scorer in the final with nine raid points from 10 raids.

Her performance was particularly impressive in the opening half. She collected seven points and successfully completed all six of her raids during that period.

She also scored two bonus points, demonstrating her ability to collect points even when the Ugandan defence attempted to restrict her movement.

Sakshi's contribution was not limited to the final. She finished the entire championship with 52 points from six matches, establishing herself as one of India's most consistent performers throughout the competition.

Anu also played an important role, adding six raid points, while captain Nidhi Sharma contributed five, including three bonus points.

The combination gave India multiple attacking options instead of depending on one player to carry the scoring responsibility.

India's defence made the difference

While the raiders attracted attention, India's defensive performance was equally important.

Ritu and Suman were particularly effective, collecting four tackle points each. Their contributions helped India restrict Uganda's attacking opportunities and maintain control over the match.

India registered 10 tackle points and 20 raid points in the final. The team also inflicted two All-Outs, which proved decisive in creating a substantial difference on the scoreboard.

Uganda, on the other hand, struggled to find enough attacking support.

Nakayongo Shirat was their most effective player, scoring 11 of Uganda's 15 points. She attempted 24 of the team's 35 raids and also collected three bonus points.

However, the remaining Ugandan raiders managed only three points between them. Nalwoga Nahia, who had been one of Uganda's standout performers in the semi-final against Kenya, was restricted to just one point.

Uganda managed 14 raid points and only one tackle point throughout the final.

In fact, Zalwango Jemima's second-half tackle was the only occasion on which Uganda successfully stopped an Indian raider during the match.

This highlighted the difference between the two sides. While Uganda depended heavily on individual contributions, India had several players contributing across departments.

Six matches, six victories: India's journey to gold

India's gold medal was the result of a consistent campaign rather than one outstanding performance.

The women's competition featured 10 teams divided into two groups. India were placed in Group A alongside Uganda, Malaysia, Nigeria and Singapore.

India opened their campaign with a commanding 73-13 victory over Malaysia on 23 October. They followed it with a 32-16 win against Singapore.

Their third group-stage match was against Uganda on 25 October, which India won 41-18. They subsequently defeated Nigeria 38-10 to finish at the top of Group A with four victories from four matches.

In the semi-final on 30 October, India faced Sri Lanka and registered another convincing victory, winning 39-14.

Sakshi led the scoring with 11 points, while captain Nidhi Sharma contributed 10. Ritu and Suman also played important roles in the defensive department.

The victory secured India's place in the final against Uganda, where they completed their unbeaten run with a 35-15 result.

India therefore finished the tournament with six wins from six matches, establishing themselves as the first women's champions of the competition.

A bigger victory for Indian kabaddi

The women's triumph was also part of a historic achievement for Indian kabaddi.

Earlier in the evening, India's men's team defeated Sri Lanka 54-20 in the final to win the inaugural men's title. Aditya Shinde led the scoring with 10 raid points, while Yogesh Dahiya contributed five successful tackles.

With both teams winning their respective finals, India completed a historic double at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship.

The tournament was held in Ahmedabad from 23 to 31 October 2026, bringing together 13 nations, with 13 men's teams and 10 women's teams. More than 400 athletes participated across 62 matches.

Organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), with the approval of the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), the competition provided kabaddi with a dedicated international platform among Commonwealth nations.

However, an important distinction needs to be made: the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship is a standalone competition and not the Commonwealth Games itself. Kabaddi is not part of the main Commonwealth Games programme.

The inaugural championship also comes at an interesting time for Indian sport, with Ahmedabad scheduled to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. The tournament gives the city an opportunity to showcase its ability to host international sporting events. It could also provide kabaddi with greater visibility among Commonwealth nations, although its inclusion in the Commonwealth Games programme remains a separate question.

For India, the women's gold medal represents more than a successful final. It demonstrates the importance of building a balanced team, developing multiple attacking options and maintaining defensive consistency.

Uganda reached the final after defeating Kenya in the semi-final, but India's experience and execution proved decisive.

The first-ever women's Commonwealth Kabaddi champions have now been crowned. And with six victories in six matches, India have set the benchmark for every team that follows.