India claimed both the men's and women's titles at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad on Saturday, capping a dominant tournament performance. The home side remained undefeated across both categories to finish the competition as the inaugural gold medalists.
In the men's final, India defeated Sri Lanka 54-20 to secure the trophy. Earlier in the evening, the Indian women's team maintained their perfect record by overcoming Uganda 35-15 in their respective final match.
The men's victory was spearheaded by Aditya Shinde, who recorded a Super 10 with 10 raid points from 14 attempts. Bharat Hooda contributed eight raid points, while Yogesh Dahiya anchored the defence with a High 5, securing five successful tackles.
India's men dominated the contest from the outset, leading 30-10 at half-time after inflicting two All-Outs. They continued their momentum in the second half, adding two more All-Outs to finish with 30 raid points and 14 tackle points.
Sri Lanka struggled to contain the Indian raiders, with Maduwantha serving as their top performer with six tackle points. The Sri Lankan side managed only seven successful raids from 41 attempts throughout the duration of the final.
Aditya Shinde expressed his delight following the win, noting the significant support from the local crowd in Ahmedabad. He stated that the team was thrilled with the result and looked forward to future competitions with similar enthusiasm.
The men's team concluded a perfect campaign, winning all eight of their matches. They topped Group A before defeating Bangladesh 56-27 in the semi-finals, scoring a total of 380 points while conceding only 193 throughout the tournament.
In the women's final, Sakshi led the scoring for India with nine raid points from 10 raids. Anu added six points, while captain Nidhi Sharma contributed five, including three bonus points, to help secure the 35-15 victory.
The Indian women's defence proved impenetrable, with Ritu and Suman recording four tackle points each. India inflicted two All-Outs on Uganda, who relied heavily on Nakayongo Shirat, who scored 11 of her team's 15 total points.
India led 22-7 at half-time after a clinical opening period where they did not lose a single raid. Despite a more competitive second half, India's second All-Out with under 10 minutes remaining effectively sealed the gold medal.
Reflecting on the achievement, Sakshi highlighted the importance of the tournament for the growth of the sport. She said that the experience would be invaluable for young players and thanked the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India for organizing the event.
The Indian women's team finished their campaign with six wins from six matches. Their path to the title included victories over Malaysia, Singapore, Uganda, and Nigeria in the group stage, followed by a 39-14 semi-final win against Sri Lanka.
The inaugural championship served as a major showcase for international kabaddi, with organizers noting the improved competitiveness of visiting teams. The event concluded with celebrations in Ahmedabad as India celebrated a double gold medal success.
Brief scores (Men's Final): India 54 (Aditya Shinde 10, Bharat Hooda 8) beat Sri Lanka 20 (Maduwantha 6) by 34 points.
Brief scores (Women's Final): India 35 (Sakshi 9, Anu 6) beat Uganda 15 (Nakayongo Shirat 11) by 20 points.
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