India Wins Inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 with Men’s and Women’s Titles

India won both the men's and women's titles at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In the finals played on 31 October 2026, the Indian men's team beat Sri Lanka 54-20, while the Indian women's team beat Uganda 35-15. Both teams stayed unbeaten throughout the tournament and became the first-ever Commonwealth Kabaddi champions in their categories.

This "golden double" on home soil is an important current affairs topic for SSC, Railways, Banking, WBCS, UPSC and other competitive exams. It also matters because Ahmedabad will host the centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games, and India wants traditional sports like kabaddi included. In this article you will learn the key facts of the championship, final results, star players, India's journey, basic kabaddi rules and history, followed by a quick revision box with memory tricks and 20 MCQs with answers.

➤ Event: Inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026
➤ Dates & venue: 23–31 October 2026, Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, Naranpura, Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
➤ Men's final: India beat Sri Lanka 54-20
➤ Women's final: India beat Uganda 35-15
➤ Captains: Surjeet Singh (men) and Nidhi Sharma (women)
➤ Teams: 13 nations in the men's event, 10 in the women's event

Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 – Key Facts

Men's Final: India 54 – 20 Sri Lanka

India's men dominated the final from the start. They led 30-10 at half-time after inflicting two All-Outs in the first half, and finished with four All-Outs in the match without conceding one. India made 24 successful raids out of 40, while Sri Lanka managed only 7 out of 41.

• Top scorer: Aditya Shinde scored a Super 10 (10 raid points from 14 raids)
• Sri Lanka's best: Maduwantha with six tackle points, including two Super Tackles
• Record: India won all eight matches – six in the group stage, the semi-final and the final

India Men's Road to the Title

In the other men's semi-final, Sri Lanka beat Kenya 28-24. Interestingly, none of the 12 players from India's Asian Games 2026 gold-winning team were in this squad, showing India's depth in kabaddi.

Women's Final: India 35 – 15 Uganda

The Indian women, led by Nidhi Sharma, beat Uganda 35-15 in a rematch of their group-stage match (which India won 41-18). India led 22-7 at half-time and did not lose a single raid in the first half, while Uganda failed in all nine of their tackle attempts in that half. India inflicted two All-Outs in the match.

• Star player: Sakshi scored 9 raid points in the final and finished the championship with 52 points from six matches
• Semi-final: India beat Sri Lanka 39-14; Uganda edged Kenya 23-21 in the other semi-final
• Group stage wins: Malaysia 73-13, Singapore 32-16, Uganda 41-18, Nigeria 38-10
• Record: Unbeaten in all six matches

Women's teams (10): Bangladesh, England, India, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Scotland, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Uganda. Group A had India, Nigeria, Singapore, Uganda and Malaysia; Group B had Bangladesh, Kenya, England, Sri Lanka and Scotland.

Significance of the Win

• Global spread of kabaddi: Teams from Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania), Europe (England, Scotland), Asia and Oceania took part, showing kabaddi is growing beyond South Asia. Uganda reaching the women's final and Kenya reaching both semi-finals were notable
• Road to Ahmedabad 2030: Ahmedabad was confirmed in November 2025 as host of the centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will have 15–17 sports. India has pushed for traditional sports such as kabaddi, kho-kho, yogasana and mallakhamb to be included
• Olympic dream: India is bidding for the 2036 Olympics, and successful international events help build the case for kabaddi's wider recognition
• A strong year for Indian kabaddi: India won men's kabaddi gold at the 2026 Asian Games, and the women's team also won the 2025 Women's Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka

India's sports push is guided by the National Sports Policy 2025 (Khelo Bharat Niti) and supported through schemes like Khelo India, funded in the Union Budget. To understand how long-term national priorities are set, read our guide on economic planning and NITI Aayog.

Kabaddi – Basic Rules You Must Know

Kabaddi – History and Important Facts

• Kabaddi is an ancient Indian sport, believed to have originated in Tamil Nadu
• It was shown as a demonstration sport at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
• Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) was formed in 1973
• International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) was founded in 2004
• Kabaddi entered the Asian Games in 1990 (Beijing) for men; women's kabaddi was added in 2010 (Guangzhou)
• India won men's Asian Games gold in every edition from 1990 to 2014; Iran won in 2018, and India regained the title in 2022 (Hangzhou)
• Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) started in 2014; Jaipur Pink Panthers won the first season
• Kabaddi is the state game of several states, including Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra

Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games – Quick Facts

• The Commonwealth of Nations has 56 member countries, most of which were once part of the British Empire; its Secretariat is in London
• The first Commonwealth Games (then British Empire Games) were held in 1930 at Hamilton, Canada
• India hosted the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010
• At the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, India won 39 medals and finished fourth
• Ahmedabad (Amdavad) 2030 will be the centenary edition; Ahmedabad was confirmed at the Commonwealth Sport General Assembly in Glasgow on 26 November 2025

Learn how international tournaments decide who plays and how teams are ranked in our detailed guide on qualification and ranking systems in international sports.

20 MCQs on Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026

Q1. Where was the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 held?
(a) New Delhi
(b) Ahmedabad
(c) Patna
(d) Chennai

Answer: (b) – It was held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Q2. Which venue hosted the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
(a) Narendra Modi Stadium
(b) Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium
(c) Veer Savarkar Sports Complex
(d) Kalinga Stadium

Answer: (c) – The Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, Ahmedabad.

Q3. What were the dates of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
(a) 1–9 October 2026
(b) 15–23 October 2026
(c) 23–31 October 2026
(d) 1–9 November 2026

Answer: (c) – The finals were played on 31 October 2026.

Q4. India's men's team defeated which country in the final?
(a) Bangladesh
(b) Kenya
(c) England
(d) Sri Lanka

Answer: (d) – India beat Sri Lanka 54-20.

Q5. What was the score of the men's final?
(a) 45-24
(b) 54-20
(c) 56-27
(d) 48-20

Answer: (b) – 45-24 was India's group-stage win over Sri Lanka.

Q6. India's women's team defeated which country in the final?
(a) Kenya
(b) Sri Lanka
(c) Uganda
(d) Malaysia

Answer: (c) – India beat Uganda 35-15.

Q7. Who captained the Indian men's team at the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
(a) Pawan Sehrawat
(b) Surjeet Singh
(c) Naveen Kumar
(d) Pardeep Narwal

Answer: (b) – Naveen Kumar was the vice-captain.

Q8. Who captained the Indian women's team?
(a) Nidhi Sharma
(b) Sakshi
(c) Pooja Hathwala
(d) Sanju Devi

Answer: (a) – Nidhi Sharma led the unbeaten women's team.

Q9. How many nations took part in the men's event?
(a) 8
(b) 10
(c) 13
(d) 16

Answer: (c) – 13 men's teams and 10 women's teams took part.

Q10. Which Indian player scored a Super 10 in the men's final?
(a) Bharat Hooda
(b) Pankaj Mohite
(c) Aditya Shinde
(d) Sachin Tanwar

Answer: (c) – Aditya Shinde scored 10 raid points from 14 raids.

Q11. Which Indian woman player scored 52 points across six matches in the championship?
(a) Nidhi Sharma
(b) Sakshi
(c) Sonali Shingate
(d) Ritu Negi

Answer: (b) – Sakshi also scored 9 raid points in the final.

Q12. Which body organised the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
(a) Sports Authority of India
(b) Commonwealth Games Federation
(c) Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India
(d) Pro Kabaddi League

Answer: (c) – AKFI organised it with the approval of the International Kabaddi Federation.

Q13. What was the theme of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
(a) Play True, Play Fair
(b) One Breath. One Raid. One Commonwealth.
(c) Unity in Diversity
(d) Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

Answer: (b) – The theme reflects the "one breath" nature of a kabaddi raid.

Q14. Which city will host the centenary 2030 Commonwealth Games?
(a) New Delhi
(b) Abuja
(c) Ahmedabad
(d) Glasgow

Answer: (c) – Ahmedabad was confirmed in November 2025, 100 years after the first Games.

Q15. Where were the first Commonwealth Games (British Empire Games) held in 1930?
(a) London
(b) Hamilton, Canada
(c) Sydney
(d) Auckland

Answer: (b) – Ahmedabad 2030 will mark the centenary of Hamilton 1930.

Q16. How many players of each team are on the court in kabaddi?
(a) 5
(b) 6
(c) 7
(d) 9

Answer: (c) – Each side has seven players on court.

Q17. In kabaddi, a "Super Tackle" is made when the defending team has:
(a) 7 players
(b) 5 or more players
(c) 3 or fewer players
(d) Only 1 player

Answer: (c) – It earns 2 points.

Q18. Kabaddi was first included in the Asian Games in:
(a) 1982 New Delhi
(b) 1990 Beijing
(c) 1994 Hiroshima
(d) 2010 Guangzhou

Answer: (b) – Women's kabaddi was added in 2010 at Guangzhou.

Q19. In which year did the Pro Kabaddi League begin?
(a) 2010
(b) 2012
(c) 2014
(d) 2016

Answer: (c) – Jaipur Pink Panthers won the first season.

Q20. Which team did Uganda beat 23-21 to reach the women's final?
(a) Sri Lanka
(b) Kenya
(c) Bangladesh
(d) England

Answer: (b) – Uganda edged Kenya in a last-minute thriller.

Conclusion

India's men's and women's teams made history by winning the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 in Ahmedabad without losing a single match. The win shows India's continued dominance in kabaddi and the sport's growing reach across Africa, Europe and Asia – a strong signal ahead of the Ahmedabad 2030 Commonwealth Games. For exams, remember the venue, dates, final scores, captains, star players and the theme. Revise the memory tricks above once more before your exam.