India Stamp Authority in Commonwealth Kabaddi C'Ship Openers, Beat England and Malaysia in Ahmedabad

India’s men’s and women’s teams began their Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 campaigns in commanding fashion, defeating England and Malaysia, respectively, at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Friday.

The women registered a massive 73-13 victory over Malaysia, while the men beat England 46-26 after facing a stronger challenge in the second half.

India Women Dominate Malaysia 73-13

Led by Sakshi’s 13 points, India’s women produced an emphatic performance against Malaysia. Renuka contributed nine points, while Nidhi Sharma added eight as India controlled the match from start to finish.

India collected 40 raid points and 20 tackle points, underlining their strength in both attack and defence. The team also inflicted six all-outs on Malaysia to launch its bid for the gold medal in style.

India Men Overcome England’s Second-Half Fightback

India’s men faced a tougher contest against England but eventually secured a comfortable 46-26 win.

India held a 23-9 lead at half-time before England mounted a spirited comeback after the break, reducing the deficit to 21-30.

India responded with two consecutive successful raids and a tackle to widen the gap before inflicting an all-out on England, restoring control of the contest.

Naveen Kumar led India’s scoring with 12 points, while Neeraj Narwal contributed 11 in the victory.

Uganda Lead Malaysia in Men’s Match

In the final match of Friday’s schedule, Uganda’s men held a 24-14 lead over Malaysia at half-time.

India’s Next Matches on Saturday

India will return to action on Saturday, the second day of the championship. The men’s team will face Uganda at 8.30 pm, while the women will take on Singapore at 6.45 pm.

The championship matches will be broadcast live on Star Sports and JioHotstar.