An international kabaddi player who wore the nickname 'Gladiator' with pride was murdered during a tournament in Jalandhar — and Congress leader Sachin Pilot, the party's general secretary and Punjab in-charge, is demanding accountability. Visiting Shahkot, Jalandhar on Sunday, 18 October 2026, Pilot raised his voice for the family of the late Sandeep Nangal Ambia, calling the killing a brutal loss for a sportsman who had brought honour to the nation.

Writing in both Punjabi and Hindi, Pilot stated: 'ਅੰਤਰਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਖਿਡਾਰੀ ਸਵ. ਸੰਦੀਪ ਨੰਗਲ ਅੰਬੀਆਂ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਜਲੰਧਰ ਵਿਖੇ ਇੱਕ ਟੂਰਨਾਮੈਂਟ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਬੇਰਹਿਮੀ ਨਾਲ ਕਤਲ ਕਰ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ' — 'International kabaddi player late Sandeep Nangal Ambia ji was brutally murdered during a tournament in Jalandhar.' He added that ensuring justice for the bereaved family and securing peace and safety in Punjab remains 'our commitment.'

Who was Sandeep Nangal Ambia, 'The Gladiator'?

Sandeep Nangal Ambia, known widely by his ring name 'Gladiator,' was an international-level kabaddi player who had represented India at the highest tier of the sport. Kabaddi — deeply rooted in Punjab's culture — commands an enormous following across the state, and Ambia's death during a live tournament has sent shockwaves through the sport's community. That a player of his stature could be cut down in such a public, violent setting has amplified the shock beyond his immediate circle.

Punjab's rising crime curve draws political fire

Pilot did not spare his words on the wider picture. 'ਪੰਜਾਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਲਗਾਤਾਰ ਵੱਧ ਰਹੀਆਂ ਹਿੰਸਕ ਅਤੇ ਅਪਰਾਧਿਕ ਘਟਨਾਵਾਂ ਬੇਹੱਦ ਚਿੰਤਾਜਨਕ ਹਨ' — 'The continuously rising violent and criminal incidents in Punjab are deeply worrying.' Since the 2022 Punjab assembly elections, opposition leaders including those within Congress factions have repeatedly flagged law-and-order as a pressure point in the state. High-profile targeted killings have drawn particular scrutiny, and Ambia's case — a sporting hero murdered mid-tournament — hands critics a viscerally compelling example.

Pilot's post tags several senior Congress figures including Partap Singh Bajwa, Charanjit Singh Channi, and other Punjab Congress leaders, signalling this is a coordinated party intervention rather than a lone voice. The choice of Shahkot — a constituency in Jalandhar district — as the location marker grounds the statement in local, constituency-level politics, not just statewide rhetoric.

Justice demand and Congress's Punjab commitment

At the centre of Pilot's statement is a pledge to the victim's family: 'ਪੀੜਤ ਪਰਿਵਾਰ ਨੂੰ ਇਨਸਾਫ਼ ਦਿਵਾਉਣਾ … ਸਾਡੀ ਵਚਨਬੱਧਤਾ ਹੈ' — 'Delivering justice to the victim's family … is our commitment.' Investigative progress by Punjab Police and any government response to the mounting chorus for accountability will now be closely watched. For a family that has lost not just a son but a national-level athlete, the political attention brings both spotlight and expectation — a combination that tends to accelerate institutional response, or expose its absence.

A country that exports kabaddi to the world cannot afford to bury its gladiators in unanswered silence.