India Women vs Uganda Women: Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship Final Set After Dominant Semifinal Win
Ahmedabad, October 30: India Women booked their place in the final of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 with a dominant 39-14 victory over Sri Lanka Women at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex on Friday, while Uganda Women edged Kenya Women 23-21 in a tense semifinal to set up the title clash.
India were in control from the opening stages against Sri Lanka and built a commanding 24-7 lead by half-time. Their superiority continued after the break as the hosts combined strong raiding with disciplined defence to complete a comfortable 25-point victory and move into the final.
Sakshi led India with 11 points, contributing eight raid points and three tackle points, while captain Nidhi Sharma added 10 points from 12 raids, including two bonus points. Ritu played an important role in defence with four tackle points and Suman added three. India finished the contest with 21 raid points and 12 tackle points, while also inflicting three All-Outs on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka struggled to build sustained pressure against the Indian defence and managed only eight successful raids throughout the match. Diluxshana was their leading scorer with six points, including five bonus points, while Priyavarna registered a Super Tackle. India, however, remained in control throughout and did not allow their opponents any realistic opportunity to get back into the contest.
Earlier in the day, Uganda Women secured their place in the final with a narrow 23-21 victory over Kenya Women in a match that remained alive until the closing moments. Uganda led 12-9 at half-time and extended their advantage to 18-12 with seven minutes remaining, but Kenya mounted a strong late comeback and reduced the gap.
Lavenda Odhiambo was the standout performer for Kenya, scoring 16 raid points from 25 raids, including six bonus points. She scored 11 of those points after the break as Kenya outscored Uganda 9-5 in the final seven minutes, but Uganda held on to protect their lead.
Nakayongo Shirat and Nalwoga Nahia scored eight points each for Uganda, with Nahia making a major impact after coming off the bench and scoring all eight of her points in the second half. Captain Nalubega Olivia added three tackle points as Uganda finished with 17 raid points and four tackle points.
The contest was ultimately decided by small margins. Uganda and Kenya finished level on raid points, but Uganda’s first-half All-Out and their perfect record in do-or-die raids, converting all five attempts, proved decisive.
India and Uganda will now meet in the women’s final on October 31 at 7:30 PM IST. The match will be a rematch of their group-stage meeting, which India won 41-18, although captain Nidhi Sharma expects a different challenge in the final.
“I’m very happy, it feels really good to have reached the final. We have played Uganda before, but they will change their strategy because it's the second time we're facing them, so it will be a good match,” Nidhi said after India’s semifinal victory.
India will enter the final after another commanding performance, while Uganda have already shown their ability to stay composed under pressure. With both teams now one win away from the title, the championship will conclude with a repeat of one of the earlier group-stage contests.
