Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 Day 1: India Men and Women Begin With Dominant Wins

Ahmedabad, October 23, 2026: The inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 got off to an exciting start at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, with nine matches played across the men’s and women’s competitions. Hosts India made an impressive opening statement as both the men’s and women’s teams registered convincing victories.The Indian women defeated Malaysia 73–13, while the men’s team overcame England 46–26 to begin their respective campaigns with wins. Across the opening day, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Uganda also recorded victories, setting the tone for an action-packed international tournament.

The first day featured five men’s matches and four women’s matches, with teams from across the Commonwealth competing for a place in the history books at the first edition of the championship.

India Women Dominate Malaysia 73–13

India’s women delivered one of the most commanding performances of the opening day, defeating Malaysia by a massive 60-point margin. Led by captain Nidhi Sharma, India took control from the opening minutes. The team raced to a 20–3 advantage before extending its lead to 30–11 at half-time. India then produced an extraordinary second-half performance, winning the period 43–2.

Sakshi was India’s leading scorer with 13 points, including eight raid points and five tackle points. Renuka made a strong impact off the bench, contributing nine raid points from nine raids. Anu added six points, while Karthika Ramesh and Jyoti contributed six and four tackle points respectively. India finished with 40 raid points and 20 tackle points, while inflicting six All-Outs on Malaysia without conceding one. The result provided a strong start for the Indian women, who will look to maintain their momentum as the group-stage competition progresses.

India Men Defeat England 46–26

The Indian men followed the women’s victory with a convincing 46–26 win over England, completing a successful opening day for the host nation. India established control early, taking a 15–5 lead before extending the advantage to 23–9 at half-time. Although England fought back in the third quarter, India responded strongly in the final period to seal the 20-point victory. Naveen Kumar led India’s scoring with 12 points, including 11 raid points and one tackle point. Neeraj Narwal was equally influential, adding 11 raid points. Pankaj Mohite contributed four points, while Sachin Tanwar scored three. In defence, Nitesh Kumar registered three tackle points and Deepak Sankar added two. India won the raid battle 32–23 and the tackle battle 8–3, while inflicting three All-Outs without conceding one. The performance demonstrated the depth of India’s attacking options, with Naveen and Neeraj leading the way as the hosts secured their first win of the championship.

Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026: All Day 1 Results

Nine matches were played on October 23, featuring teams from both the men’s and women’s competitions.

Men’s Results

Kenya opened the men’s competition with a 20-point victory over Singapore. Sri Lanka followed with a 48–21 win against Tanzania, while Scotland defeated Australia 59–30. India then beat England 46–26, and Uganda completed the men’s results with a 45–29 victory over Malaysia.

Women’s Results

Uganda made a powerful start to the women’s competition, defeating Singapore 61–12. Kenya overcame Bangladesh 34–25, while Sri Lanka recorded a 53–10 win against Scotland. India’s 73–13 victory over Malaysia was the biggest winning margin among the women’s opening-day matches.

Kenya, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Uganda Also Impress

While India attracted much of the attention with its two victories, several other teams produced notable performances.Kenya began its men’s campaign with a 48–28 victory over Singapore and later recorded a 34–25 win against Bangladesh in the women’s competition. Sri Lanka enjoyed a successful opening day in both categories. The men defeated Tanzania 48–21, while the women beat Scotland 53–10. Scotland’s men produced an impressive 59–30 win over Australia, demonstrating their attacking strength in the opening round. Uganda also enjoyed a double success, with the men defeating Malaysia 45–29 and the women beating Singapore 61–12. These results highlighted the competitive nature of the championship, with several participating nations making strong starts to their campaigns.

Ahmedabad Welcomes the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship

The opening day marked an important milestone for kabaddi as Ahmedabad hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship. The tournament brings together national teams from 13 participating nations across the men’s and women’s categories, with 23 squads competing over nine days. A total of 62 matches are scheduled during the championship. The competition is being held at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Fans can follow the action through Star Sports television coverage and live streaming on JioHotstar. Beyond the results, the championship provides an international platform for kabaddi and an opportunity to introduce the sport to a wider Commonwealth audience.

What’s Next for India?

Both Indian teams will look to build on their opening-day victories as the group stage continues. The women’s team will face Singapore on October 24, while the men are scheduled to meet Uganda. These matches will provide further tests as India look to strengthen their positions in their respective groups. After emphatic opening performances, the focus will be on consistency, squad depth and maintaining the intensity required across a demanding tournament schedule.

Final Word

Day 1 of the First Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 delivered a successful start for the hosts, with India’s men and women both securing convincing victories. The women’s 73–13 win over Malaysia and the men’s 46–26 triumph against England were the headline results of the day. Kenya, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Uganda also celebrated wins across the nine opening matches. With the competition now underway, Ahmedabad is set for more international kabaddi action as teams continue their pursuit of the inaugural Commonwealth titles.

India have started strong. The challenge now is to keep the momentum going.