First Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad: India Women Face Malaysia, Men Take On England

At 6:45 PM on Friday at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, when Nidhi Sharma's Indian women's team steps onto the mat against Malaysia with the first cant, it will not merely be the start of a match. It will be the first minute of a tournament India has sought for years — a platform attempting to bring kabaddi into the Commonwealth Games fold, with Ahmedabad itself preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.

The nine-day Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship, running from October 23 to 31, will feature 23 teams from 13 nations across 62 matches — 39 in the men's draw and 23 in the women's. The opening whistle blows at 11:00 AM with Kenya taking on Singapore in a men's Group B fixture, setting the tone for a day that ends with India's men, captained by Surjeet Singh, facing England at 8:30 PM.

This entry sits in my notebook dated October 22, 2026. For the past few weeks I have been tracking preparations in Ahmedabad from the training ground to the hotel, and what is visible here is bigger than an ordinary tournament. It is the first public test of the economic and institutional structure India has built for kabaddi since 2026 through the Pro Kabaddi League and the international federation.

Tournament Structure and India's Challenge

The men's competition features 13 teams divided into two groups. India is placed in Group A alongside Nigeria, Malaysia, Uganda, England, Tanzania and Sri Lanka, while Group B comprises Bangladesh, Kenya, Canada, Australia, Scotland and Singapore. India's 14-member squad includes vice-captain Naveen Kumar, Sachin Tanwar, Pankaj Mohite, Bharat Hooda, Shubham Shinde and Parvesh Bhainswal.

The women's competition features 10 teams across two groups of five. India shares Group A with Singapore, Nigeria, Uganda and Malaysia, while Bangladesh, Kenya, England, Scotland and Sri Lanka make up Group B. Ritu serves as vice-captain of the Indian women's team, which also features Muskan Sharma, Riya Kumari, Simran Kamboj and Karthika Ramesh.

India's men's schedule reads: Uganda on October 24, Malaysia on October 25, Nigeria on October 26, Tanzania on October 27 and Sri Lanka on October 29. The women's team follows Malaysia with Singapore on October 24, Uganda on October 25 and Nigeria on October 26. The top two teams from each group qualify for the semifinals on October 30, with the women's and men's finals scheduled for October 31.

The Context: A Long Wait

The championship is organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) with approval from the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF). For me this date matters because since the 2026 Jakarta Asian Games I had been watching a gap in kabaddi's international calendar. The Asian Games come every four years, Asian championships are irregular, and the World Cup has not seen a major event since 2026. The Commonwealth Championship is an attempt to fill that void — even if it currently looks like a pilot project.

The presence of 23 teams from 13 countries means this is not merely an Asian event. African nations like Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria, Western countries like Australia, Canada and Scotland, and a team like England are all part of it. This is the expansion the IKF has discussed for years, but now for the first time it can be observed as an organised tournament.

The Indian Men's Team: Questions and Possibilities

Surjeet Singh's men open against England. On paper it looks an easy match — England's kabaddi team has no major international victory. But my notebook says otherwise. Kabaddi was not part of the 2026 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, but in the test events around it England had shown improvement in fitness and basic technique. In records I reviewed last year, England's raiders had increased aggression on the bonus line — the same shift the Pro Kabaddi League brought to Indian domestic kabaddi. If India takes the field treating England as merely a weak side, the scoreboard could surprise in the first 10 minutes.

Naveen Kumar serving as vice-captain is an interesting selection. He has struggled with injuries over recent seasons, but when fit, his raiding speed and ability to change direction is India's biggest weapon. Paired with Sachin Tanwar and Pankaj Mohite, India's raiding department looks strong if the combination clicks.

In defence, the experience of Shubham Shinde and Parvesh Bhainswal will be crucial. Parvesh is an old-school defender who relies on ankle and thigh holds, while Shubham is a modern corner defender adept at stopping running hand touches. Building coordination between them will be the coaching staff's biggest challenge.

The Indian Women's Team: A New Stage After Four Golds

Nidhi Sharma's team faces Malaysia first. India's record in women's kabaddi is formidable — four Asian Games gold medals. But to me that record is an incomplete story. Covering women's kabaddi over recent years, I have seen how few competitions the team gets. There is no franchise league for women, no regular domestic circuit. Despite four Asian Games golds, these players must wait for a new platform each time to prove their talent. This championship matters in that respect — it is a rare opportunity for the women's team to play four or five matches in succession.

Ritu as vice-captain is a step in the right direction. With players like Muskan Sharma, Riya Kumari, Simran Kamboj and Karthika Ramesh, this team is a blend of youth and experience. The first match against Malaysia is psychologically important — a big win would boost confidence, but an early struggle would signal the team still needs match practice.

The Contrarian Angle: Will This Tournament Really Change Kabaddi's Future?

Here I want to address a point most reports are ignoring. Hosting the Commonwealth Championship is a significant achievement, but will it truly lift kabaddi to the level being hoped for?

First, the effort to include kabaddi in the 2030 Commonwealth Games is at an early stage. The host city will have to negotiate extensively with the International Olympic Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation to include kabaddi in the sports list. This championship is part of that conversation, but it does not guarantee kabaddi a place in 2030.

Second, the format is 62 matches over nine days. That is a busy schedule. Many teams lack deep bench strength. If a team loses matches consistently, tournament morale could dip. In my experience, logistics and scheduling problems are common at such first events.

Third and most important — the economic structure. The success of the Commonwealth Championship does not mean kabaddi will gain the global recognition cricket or football enjoy. Kabaddi remains largely confined to India, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan and some African nations. Until domestic leagues take root in Europe and the Americas, the sport will not reach that level.

But there is a positive side. For the first time, African nations — Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria — have participated together in an international tournament. This can lay the foundation for the expansion kabaddi needs. If basic infrastructure for kabaddi is built in these countries, the level of competition will rise in the coming years.

My Tracking Yardstick:

I will measure this tournament on three parameters recorded in my notebook.

First, the raid success rate of the Indian teams. In recent Pro Kabaddi League seasons this has hovered around 40-45%. If India stays above 50% in this tournament, it means the team has adopted an aggressive approach.

Second, the ratio of tackle points. India's traditional strength has been raiding, but in modern kabaddi defence is equally important. If India secures more than 15 tackle points per match, that will be satisfactory.

Third, bonus line usage. This is an area where Indian teams have improved over recent years. If Indian raiders achieve above 30% success on the bonus line, it will signal the team has absorbed Pro Kabaddi League strategies.

The Road Ahead

When the final match ends on October 31, the scoreboard will say something. But for me the real question will be: has this tournament laid the foundation for a permanent annual calendar for kabaddi? Will the 23 teams from 13 nations return next year? Can Ahmedabad secure kabaddi's place in the 2030 Commonwealth Games?

My notebook will record the answers to these questions over the coming months. For now, the wait is for Friday at 6:45 PM — when Nidhi Sharma's team will utter the first cant against Malaysia, and that cant will be not just the start of a match but the first step of a long journey.