India Women created history by becoming the inaugural champions of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship, defeating Uganda Women 35-15 in a commanding final on Day 9 of the competition. Led by captain Nidhi Sharma, the world champions completed an unbeaten campaign, winning all six matches to claim the coveted title.
Sakshi spearheaded India’s attack with an outstanding nine raid points from 10 raids, including two bonus points. She was particularly impressive in the first half, scoring seven points while successfully completing all six of her raids. Anu contributed six raid points, while captain Nidhi Sharma added five, including three bonus points.
India’s defensive unit also played a decisive role, with Ritu and Suman registering four tackle points each. India accumulated 20 raid points and 10 tackle points during the final, while inflicting two All-Outs on their opponents.
Uganda’s Nakayongo Shirat was the standout performer for her side, scoring 11 of Uganda’s 15 points. She accounted for 24 of the team’s 35 raids, including three bonus points. However, the rest of Uganda’s raiders struggled to penetrate India’s disciplined defence, with semi-final standout Nalwoga Nahia restricted to just one point.
lndia established a 7-3 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the first half before taking complete control of the contest. A decisive 15-4 scoring run, which included an All-Out, helped India move into a commanding 22-7 lead at half-time.
India’s dominance was evident in the opening half, as they did not lose a single raid, while Uganda failed to register any successful tackles from nine attempts. India’s defenders, meanwhile, recorded six successful tackles.
Uganda showed some resistance after the break, edging India 7-6 in raid points. However, India’s second All-Out with less than 10 minutes remaining effectively sealed the contest and confirmed their historic title triumph.
Sakshi, who finished the championship with 52 points from six matches, was named India’s standout performer in the final.
“I’m feeling great that I could score nine raid points and help the team win. The atmosphere in the team is euphoric after winning the gold medal and everyone is very happy,” Sakshi said.
Highlighting the importance of international competitions for the sport’s development, she added that such tournaments would provide valuable exposure to young players and help raise the standard of kabaddi globally. She also thanked the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) for organising the championship.
India’s title-winning campaign was built on consistent performances throughout the tournament. They began with a resounding 73-13 victory over Malaysia, followed by wins against Singapore (32-16), Uganda (41-18) and Nigeria (38-10) to finish at the top of Group A.
The Indian women then defeated Sri Lanka 39-14 in the semi-final before overcoming Uganda once again in the final.
With six victories from six matches, India not only secured the inaugural Commonwealth women’s kabaddi crown but also reaffirmed their dominance on the international stage.
