India's men's and women's kabaddi teams delivered a dominant double on Monday, 26 October at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, overwhelming Nigeria in both fixtures at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad. The women's side cruised to a 38-10 victory to book their semifinal berth, while the men followed with an emphatic 50-23 win — marking a fourth successive victory in the championship for both squads.

Women Storm Into Semifinals

The Indian women were in command from the opening whistle, racing to a commanding 24-6 lead at half-time before extending their dominance in the second half to complete a 38-10 final scoreline. The result confirms their place in the last four of the inaugural edition.

Raider Anu was the standout performer, plundering 11 raid points from 17 raids. Sakshi chipped in with four raid points, and captain Nidhi Sharma contributed a couple. In defence, Sabhai Gadhavi made her presence felt with three tackle points, while Priya and Ritu claimed two tackle points each. For Nigeria, Robert Moses top-scored with six raid points and Bassey Edet added two, but the Indian defence offered them little room to operate.

The women's team will next face the second-placed side from Group B in their semifinal on Friday, 30 October.

Men's Team Cruise to Fourth Win

The men's contest was equally one-sided. India raced to a 25-7 half-time lead and never looked back, finishing ahead on both raid points (31-21) and tackle points (7-2) for a final margin of 50-23.

Raider Sachin led the attack with 12 raid points, closely followed by Aditya Shinde with 11 raid points. Pankaj Mohite contributed eight raid points and two tackle points, while Surjeet Narwal was the defensive anchor with a tournament-high four tackle points. Nigeria showed greater resolve after the break — scoring 16 points in the second half — with Edem Wisdom Ita collecting eight raid points, Ekpe Victory Emmanuel picking up six points, and Izu Prince Udah adding five raid points, but India's advantage was never seriously threatened.

The men's side will take on Tanzania on Tuesday, 27 October, in their next group fixture.

Context: India's Dominance at the Inaugural Championship

This is the first edition of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship, making every result a landmark in the sport's push for broader international recognition. India's kabaddi programme — long the dominant force at the Asian Games and Kabaddi World Cup — has entered the tournament as strong favourites, and their unbeaten record through four rounds reinforces that status. Notably, both the men's and women's teams have now clinched semifinal spots, setting up the prospect of a podium sweep for the Indian contingent.