Ahmedabad Hosts Inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship

Ahmedabad is hosting the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship from October 23 to 31, 2026. The competition is being held at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex and features 23 squads from 13 nations. More than 400 athletes are competing in 62 matches: 39 men’s matches and 23 women’s matches. The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) is organising the event with the approval of the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF).

Championship and Participating Nations

The participating nations are India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya, Tanzania, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, Uganda, England, Scotland and Australia. The championship was formally unveiled at a curtain-raiser event on October 21, 2026. The event included the unveiling of the official jersey, team captains, anthem, logo and mascot. The semifinals are scheduled for October 30, followed by the finals on October 31. India’s women are scheduled to play Malaysia at 6:45 pm on October 23, while India’s men are scheduled to play England at 8:30 pm that day.

Indian Teams and Captains

Surjeet Singh is captain of the Indian men’s team, with Naveen Kumar as vice-captain. Nidhi Sharma leads the Indian women’s team, and Ritu is its vice-captain. The team leadership was announced on October 22, 2026.

Kabaddi Rules and International Context

Kabaddi is a team contact sport in which a raider enters the opposing half to tag defenders and return to their own half without being tackled. Standard kabaddi teams have seven players on court. A team scores through successful raids and tackles; an “all out” occurs when all seven players of a team are put out. Kabaddi became a medal sport at the Asian Games in 1990, when the Games were held in Beijing. The Ahmedabad championship is intended to support the sport’s case for potential inclusion in the Commonwealth Games 2030, which Ahmedabad is also set to host.

Important Facts for Exams

• The inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship runs from October 23 to 31, 2026.
• The competition venue is the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.
• The championship involves 23 squads representing 13 nations.
• Kabaddi became a medal sport at the Asian Games in 1990.

The AKFI is organising the championship with the approval of the IKF. The event schedule includes 62 matches across the men’s and women’s competitions.