India's women's kabaddi team scripted history on Saturday, 31 October, defeating Uganda 35-15 in the final to be crowned the first-ever champions of the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad. The triumph capped a flawless six-wins-from-six campaign for the World Champions, who dominated every stage of the tournament.

Sakshi Steals the Show in the Final

Raider Sakshi was the standout performer in the decider, finishing with nine raid points from 10 raids, including two bonus points. Seven of those came in a blistering first half, where she was successful on all six of her raids. Sakshi ended the entire championship as India's top scorer, accumulating 52 points across six matches.

Captain Nidhi Sharma chipped in with five raid points including three bonus points, leading by example throughout. Anu added six raid points, while defenders Ritu and Suman anchored the back line with four tackle points each. In total, India posted 20 raid points and 10 tackle points, also enforcing two All-Outs.

India's First-Half Dominance Sealed the Contest

India led 7-3 with 10 minutes of the first half remaining before shifting into a higher gear. They outscored Uganda 15-4 in that closing stretch — including an All-Out — to establish a 22-7 lead at the interval. Notably, India did not lose a single raid in the first half; Uganda's nine tackle attempts all failed, while India's defenders made six successful tackles.

Uganda mounted a modest second-half response, edging India 7-6 on raid points after the break. However, India's second All-Out with less than 10 minutes remaining extinguished any hope of a comeback. India converted three of their four do-or-die raids, underlining their clinical edge throughout.

Uganda's Best Couldn't Bridge the Gap

Nakayongo Shirat was Uganda's primary threat, executing 24 of their 35 raids and contributing 11 of their 15 points, including three bonus points. Uganda's other raiders managed just three points between them; semi-final star Nalwoga Nahia was held to a single point by India's defence. Zalwango Jemima's second-half tackle was Uganda's only successful defensive stop of the match. Uganda finished with 14 raid points and a solitary tackle point.

India's Unbeaten Road to the Title

India's gold-medal run was built on relentless consistency. They opened with a 73-13 demolition of Malaysia, followed by wins over Singapore 32-16, Uganda 41-18, and Nigeria 38-10 to finish top of Group A. A 39-14 semifinal victory over Sri Lanka set up the final rematch with Uganda, whom they had already beaten comprehensively in the group stage.

What the Players and Officials Said

Sakshi, reflecting on her championship-winning performance, said: 'I'm feeling great that I could score 9 raid points and help the team win. The atmosphere in the team is euphoric after winning the gold medal, and everyone is very happy. This event was very important for Kabaddi, as such International tournaments will help the growth of the sport, and our young players will benefit a lot from this experience. I could see a lot of improvement in other teams from last year. I want to thank AKFI for organising such a wonderful championship.'

This marks a landmark moment for women's kabaddi on the international stage. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) organised the championship, which is widely expected to strengthen the sport's case for broader global recognition. All eyes will now turn to the next edition of the tournament and what India's dominance signals for the sport's development worldwide.