The Indian women’s kabaddi team showcased their dominance by defeating Uganda 35-15 to win the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship on Saturday in Ahmedabad.
Throughout the tournament, the Indian squad remained unbeaten.
In the final match, Sakshi emerged as India’s top raider, scoring nine points from ten raids, including two bonus points. Her exceptional performance in the first half saw her secure seven points, successfully completing all six of her raids.
Anu contributed significantly with six raid points, while captain Nidhi Sharma added five points, including three bonus points. Defenders Ritu and Suman each recorded four tackle points, helping India accumulate a total of 20 raid points and 10 tackle points, along with two all-outs against Uganda.
For Uganda, Nakayongo Shirat was a standout performer, executing 24 raids out of the team’s total of 35 and earning 11 points, including three bonus points. However, the rest of the Ugandan raiders managed to score only three points, and star player Nalwogo Nahia, who shone in the semifinals, could only secure one point.
Throughout the match, Uganda successfully halted an Indian raider just once, when Jalwango Jemima executed a successful tackle in the second half. Uganda finished with 14 raid points and one tackle point.
India took an early lead, holding a 7-3 advantage with ten minutes left in the first half. They then extended their lead significantly, ending the half at 22-7 after a 15-4 scoring run that included an all-out. India did not fail a single raid in the first half, while all nine of Uganda’s tackle attempts were unsuccessful. Indian defenders achieved six successful tackles.
After halftime, Uganda managed to outscore India 7-6 in raid points, but a second all-out by India with ten minutes remaining solidified their victory. Throughout the match, India tackled Ugandan raiders ten times and converted three out of four do-or-die raids into successful raids.
The Indian women’s team had an impressive run in Ahmedabad, winning all six of their matches. They began their campaign with a resounding 73-13 victory over Malaysia, followed by wins against Singapore (32-16), Uganda (41-18), and Nigeria (38-10), finishing at the top of Group A. In the semifinals, they defeated Sri Lanka 39-14 before claiming the championship title against Uganda.