Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026
The first-ever Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship crowns men’s and women’s champions and brings teams from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Oceania to Ahmedabad, the host city of the centenary Commonwealth Games 2030. It is a test event with a clear purpose: to make the case for kabaddi on the Commonwealth Games programme.
Kabaddi has never been a medal sport at the Commonwealth Games. This championship, organised in India by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), is the sport’s audition. Here is everything you need: dates, the 14 teams, the men’s and women’s events, how the game works, start times from London to Sydney, where to watch, and what it means for Ahmedabad 2030.
Championship at a glance
Revised from 21–31 Oct
Dates have moved twice. The event was first pencilled in for 10–20 October, then 21–31 October, and the start has now shifted to 23 October. The championship website still shows an older 21–27 October window; we follow the latest announced dates and will update this page as the official schedule is published.
Why this event matters for CWG 2030
Ahmedabad (Amdavad) will host the centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, the 24th edition and India’s first since Delhi 2010. Host nations can propose sports for the programme, and the Indian Olympic Association wants kabaddi included. It would be the sport’s first appearance at a Commonwealth Games.
That is where this championship comes in. By staging an international event in the same city, on a venue earmarked for 2030, the organisers are showing that kabaddi can run a Commonwealth-wide competition with teams from well beyond South Asia. A strong turnout from Africa, the UK, Canada and Australia is a big part of that argument.
Fourteen flags. One mat.
The entry list spans five continents. Final squads are confirmed by the organising committee; the list below reflects the teams reported as of 15 October 2026.
India
Hosts and favourites. India won men’s gold at the 2026 Asian Games but have rested that squad, giving fringe players a chance on home soil.
Pakistan
A traditional kabaddi power with deep roots in the circle-style game, and a natural rival for the hosts.
Bangladesh
Kabaddi is Bangladesh’s national sport. Reports tip them as a serious contender after strong recent form.
Sri Lanka
A regular on the South Asian kabaddi circuit, looking to test itself against teams from outside the region.
Malaysia
Kabaddi has a following in Malaysia’s Indian community, and the country has entered past Asian Games kabaddi events.
Singapore
One of the less familiar names on the list, part of the push to show kabaddi’s reach across the Commonwealth.
England
Kabaddi in England is driven by clubs in the Midlands and London, many with Punjabi roots.
Scotland
Scotland’s entry, just months after Glasgow hosted the 2026 Commonwealth Games, adds to the event’s Commonwealth credentials.
Canada
Canada bring a 13-man squad. Ontario and British Columbia have long-running kabaddi scenes, and the team speaks of showcasing Canadian kabaddi internationally.
Australia
Represented by the newly launched AusKabaddi team. Interest in Australia rose after the Pro Kabaddi exhibition in Melbourne in 2024.
Kenya
One of four African entries, a sign of how far the sport has spread across the Commonwealth.
Nigeria
West Africa’s representative and one of the most watched newcomers in Ahmedabad.
Tanzania
An East African entry gaining valuable experience against established kabaddi nations.
Uganda
Completes a strong African presence that strengthens the case for kabaddi at a global multi-sport Games.
Not taking part: Iran, the Asian Games silver medallists and India’s main rival, are not a Commonwealth nation. Neither are Asian Games bronze medallists Thailand and Chinese Taipei.
Contenders and storylines
India’s second string
India start as favourites even without their Asian Games champions. Notable names in the probables include raiders Naveen Kumar and Bharat Hooda, while Pawan Sehrawat was left out. The final squad comes from a 17-player camp under head coach J. Udaya Kumar, with Manjeet Chhillar and Rohit Kumar assisting.
Pakistan and Bangladesh
The two South Asian sides most likely to trouble the hosts. Any India v Pakistan meeting will draw the event’s biggest audience.
Diaspora teams
England, Canada and Australia are built largely around diaspora club players. Their results will show how far kabaddi has come outside South Asia.
India’s women
Fresh from Asian Games gold, India’s women are clear favourites. Bangladesh, with kabaddi as their national sport, look the likeliest challengers.
Africa’s moment
Four African nations make this a genuinely Commonwealth-wide field. One competitive African run would be a strong signal for 2030.
The road to gold
The championship follows the usual international kabaddi structure: a pool stage with round-robin matches, then semi-finals and a final. The official 14-team draw and match-by-match fixtures have not been published yet. The day-by-day table below will be filled in with every fixture and result as soon as they are released.
Key dates
| Date | What happens | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Early October | India name 17 probables for a preparation camp, plus a coaching staff | Done |
| Week of 9 October | Canada’s 13-man squad departs for Ahmedabad | Done |
| Before 23 October | India’s final squad, official draw and fixtures | Awaited |
| Fri 23 October | Opening day: first pool matches | Reported |
| Sun 25 October | UK clocks go back one hour (affects London and Edinburgh viewing times) | Fixed |
| Late October | Semi-finals | TBC |
| Sat 31 October | Final and medal ceremony | Reported |
Day-by-day schedule
| Day | Date | Stage | Fixtures (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fri 23 Oct | Pool stage | Fixtures TBC |
| 2 | Sat 24 Oct | Pool stage | Fixtures TBC |
| 3 | Sun 25 Oct | Pool stage | Fixtures TBC |
| 4 | Mon 26 Oct | Pool stage | Fixtures TBC |
| 5 | Tue 27 Oct | Pool stage | Fixtures TBC |
| 6 | Wed 28 Oct | Pool stage | Fixtures TBC |
| 7 | Thu 29 Oct | Pool stage / knockouts | Fixtures TBC |
| 8 | Fri 30 Oct | Knockouts (expected) | TBC |
| 9 | Sat 31 Oct | Final | Time TBC |
Men’s and women’s competitions
Men’s championship
The larger of the two events, with the full field of Commonwealth nations playing pool matches before the semi-finals and final. The official draw is awaited.
Women’s championship
Eight nations in two pools of four. Pool winners and runners-up cross over in the semi-finals, then play for gold. India’s women arrive as reigning Asian Games champions.
Women’s pools Provisional
| Pool A | Pool B |
|---|---|
| India | Bangladesh |
| Australia | Canada |
| England | Malaysia |
| Kenya | Sri Lanka |
The women’s pools are the provisional draw published by the organisers and may change. The men’s draw has not been confirmed: the organisers’ provisional list does not match the 14 nations reported by the federation and media, so we will publish it once it is final. In kabaddi, both losing semi-finalists usually receive bronze.
Who is on the mat
Squads are being named team by team. Here is everything announced so far; we add each nation as its list is published.
India men 17 probables named
The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India has named 17 senior men’s probables for the national camp, with the final squad to be picked from this group. The list has 9 raiders and 8 defenders (4 corners, 4 covers). None of the 12 players who won gold at the 2026 Asian Games are included.
| # | Player | State / Department | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yogesh | Haryana | Right corner |
| 2 | Shubham S. Shinde | Indian Railways | Right corner |
| 3 | Deepak Sankar | Tamil Nadu | Left corner |
| 4 | Nitesh Kumar | Haryana | Left corner |
| 5 | Deepak | Services (SSCB) | Right cover |
| 6 | Surjeet | Haryana | Right cover |
| 7 | Parvesh | Indian Railways | Left cover |
| 8 | Ajit Pandurang Pawar | Maharashtra | Left cover |
| 9 | Naveen Kumar | Services (SSCB) | Right raider |
| 10 | Pankaj Deepak Mohite | Indian Railways | Right raider |
| 11 | Sachin | Rajasthan | Right raider |
| 12 | Rakesh | Chandigarh | Right raider |
| 13 | Aditya Tushar Shinde | Maharashtra | Left raider |
| 14 | Bharat Hooda | Services (SSCB) | Left raider |
| 15 | Ajit Ramesh Chouhan | Maharashtra | Left raider |
| 16 | Shivam Anil Patare | Maharashtra | Left raider |
| 17 | Neeraj Narwal | Haryana | Left raider |
Not in the probables: big Pro Kabaddi names including Pawan Sehrawat, Arjun Deshwal, Ashu Malik, Aslam Inamdar, Sunil Kumar, Ayan Lohchab and Devank Dalal. No official reason was given; resting after the Asian Games is the likely explanation.
Canada men 13-man squad named
- Harvin Singh Sangha (Caledon, ON)
- Sohal Singh Brar (Brampton, ON)
- Anmol Thakur (Surrey, BC)
- Akhil Dahiya (Bracebridge, ON)
- Amandeep Ranote (Dartmouth, NS)
- Anoop Mohanan Pushpa (Montreal, QC)
- Gurtej Singh (Brampton, ON)
- Jovan Singh Sangha (Brampton, ON)
- Manpreet Singh (Kingston, ON)
- Varun (Vancouver, BC)
- Harit Alkesh Shah (Brampton, ON)
- Anand (Etobicoke, ON)
- Lovepreet Singh (Montreal, QC)
Australia Full list awaited
The newly launched AusKabaddi side mixes diaspora players with athletes from other sports. Several are new to kabaddi, among them 22-year-old Will Burchill from Gembrook, Victoria, a local football player recruited through his club. The Consulate General of India in Melbourne has backed the team’s trip.
India women 17 probables named
India’s women are the reigning Asian Games champions after winning gold at Aichi-Nagoya 2026. The federation has named 17 senior women’s probables for the camp: 8 raiders and 9 defenders (6 corners, 3 covers). Right cover Sabhai Vachhiyabhai Gadhavi is the host state Gujarat’s representative.
| # | Player | State / Department | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muskan Sharma | Madhya Pradesh | Right cover |
| 2 | Sabhai Vachhiyabhai Gadhavi | Gujarat | Right cover |
| 3 | Priya | Uttar Pradesh | Left cover |
| 4 | Champa Thakur | Himachal Pradesh | Left corner |
| 5 | Riya Kumari | Bihar | Left corner |
| 6 | Suman | Indian Railways | Left corner |
| 7 | Jyothi | Chandigarh | Left corner |
| 8 | Ritu | Indian Railways | Right corner |
| 9 | Tammna | Haryana | Right corner |
| 10 | Pooja Narwal | Indian Railways | Left raider |
| 11 | Anu | Uttar Pradesh | Left raider |
| 12 | Sakshi | Indian Railways | Left raider |
| 13 | Karthika Ramesh | Tamil Nadu | Right raider |
| 14 | Archana | Karnataka | Right raider |
| 15 | Renuka | Rajasthan | Right raider |
| 16 | Simran Kamboj | Punjab | Right raider |
| 17 | Nidhi Sharma | Rajasthan | Right raider |
Other nations Squads awaited
Start times around the world
Matches are played on Indian Standard Time (UTC+5:30). Kabaddi’s big games are traditionally scheduled for the evening in India. Use the table below to convert the two most common evening slots. Note that the UK clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, so London and Edinburgh times shift by one hour mid-tournament.
| City | Country | If match starts 5:00 PM IST | If match starts 7:00 PM IST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmedabad / Delhi | India | 5:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| London / Edinburgh (to 24 Oct) | England, Scotland | 12:30 PM | 2:30 PM |
| London / Edinburgh (from 25 Oct) | England, Scotland | 11:30 AM | 1:30 PM |
| Toronto / New York | Canada, USA | 7:30 AM | 9:30 AM |
| Vancouver | Canada | 4:30 AM | 6:30 AM |
| Sydney / Melbourne | Australia | 10:30 PM | 12:30 AM (next day) |
| Lagos | Nigeria | 12:30 PM | 2:30 PM |
| Nairobi / Kampala / Dar es Salaam | Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania | 2:30 PM | 4:30 PM |
| Dubai / Abu Dhabi | UAE | 3:30 PM | 5:30 PM |
| Karachi / Lahore | Pakistan | 4:30 PM | 6:30 PM |
| Colombo | Sri Lanka | 5:00 PM | 7:00 PM |
| Dhaka | Bangladesh | 5:30 PM | 7:30 PM |
| Singapore / Kuala Lumpur | Singapore, Malaysia | 7:30 PM | 9:30 PM |
Conversions use daylight time where it applies during 23–31 October 2026 (Canada and the USA stay on daylight time until 1 November; Australia’s eastern states are on AEDT). Exact session times are TBC.
Where to watch
| Region | TV | Streaming | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Star Sports Network | JioStar app and website | Announced |
| UK, Canada, USA, Australia | No deal announced | Check JioStar availability and team federations’ social channels | TBC |
| Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka | No deal announced | — | TBC |
| Africa, Malaysia, Singapore | No deal announced | — | TBC |
International broadcast partners have not been announced. Live scores are expected on the championship’s results service throughout the event. We will update this table as soon as any overseas broadcaster is confirmed.
Kabaddi rules in 60 seconds
Seven players a side on a rectangular court. Teams take turns sending one raider into the opposition half to tag defenders and get back home, while the defence tries to stop them. That is the whole idea, and it is relentlessly watchable.
The raid
The raider chants “kabaddi” and has 30 seconds to cross the mid-line, touch defenders and return.
Touch points
Every defender the raider tags and escapes from is out, and a point to the attacking team.
Tackle
If the defenders stop the raider getting back, the defending team scores a point.
Bonus
With six or more defenders on court, a raider who crosses the bonus line earns an extra point.
All out
Put the whole opposing side out and win two extra points, as the beaten team is fully revived.
Super tackle
When three or fewer defenders tackle the raider successfully, they earn a bonus point.
Matches are two halves of 20 minutes for men, with a five-minute break. Each point a team scores revives one of its out players, so momentum can swing fast. This is “standard style” kabaddi, the version played at the Asian Games and in the Pro Kabaddi League, not the “circle style” popular in Punjab and the diaspora.
Ahmedabad: venue and travel guide
The venue
Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, a newly built multi-sport complex in north-west Ahmedabad and part of the city’s preparation for the 2030 Games. See more on the CWG 2030 venues page.
Getting there
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD) has direct flights from the Gulf and connections via Delhi and Mumbai. Naranpura is roughly a 30–40 minute drive from the airport depending on traffic; ride-hailing apps are widely used.
Weather
Late October in Ahmedabad is dry and warm after the monsoon. Expect hot afternoons, typically in the low-to-mid 30s °C (around 90°F), and milder evenings near 20°C. Matches are indoors.
Visas
Most visitors need a visa. Many nationalities can apply online for India’s e-Visa through the official Indian visa portal; check your eligibility and apply well before travel. Rules differ by nationality.
Tickets
Ticket sales have not been announced. Kabaddi events in India are often low-cost or free to attend; we will add details as soon as the organisers publish them.
Good to know
Gujarat is a dry state: alcohol is restricted and needs a permit. The championship ends about a week before Diwali (8 November), a busy travel period, so book hotels early.
Results and medal table
Results and standings will be added here during the championship, from opening day on 23 October through the final on 31 October.
Men’s medal table
| Medal | Nation | Final score |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Gold | — | Final TBC |
| 🥈 Silver | — | |
| 🥉 Bronze | — | Semi-final losers |
| 🥉 Bronze | — | Semi-final losers |
Women’s medal table
| Medal | Nation | Final score |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Gold | — | Final TBC |
| 🥈 Silver | — | |
| 🥉 Bronze | — | Semi-final losers |
| 🥉 Bronze | — | Semi-final losers |
Follow the medal race for the full Games on our CWG 2030 medal table.
Kabaddi on the world stage
Kabaddi grew out of village games across South Asia and has been an Asian Games sport since Beijing 1990. India won every men’s title until Jakarta-Palembang 2018, when Iran broke the streak. India regained gold at Hangzhou 2023, and in September 2026 at Aichi-Nagoya beat Iran in the men’s final, with Thailand and Chinese Taipei taking bronze. India also won the women’s gold in Japan.
The professional Pro Kabaddi League, launched in 2014, turned the sport into prime-time television in India. Its 13th season is expected later in 2026. Outside Asia, the sport is played mainly by diaspora communities in the UK, Canada and Australia, with a growing base in East and West Africa.
| Asian Games 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya) men’s kabaddi | Nation |
|---|---|
| 🥇 Gold | India |
| 🥈 Silver | Iran |
| 🥉 Bronze | Thailand, Chinese Taipei |
Road to Ahmedabad 2030
This championship is the first look at kabaddi in a Commonwealth setting. Our Commonwealth Games 2030 hub covers everything else about the centenary Games: confirmed sports, venues, schedule, India’s campaign and the medal table.
Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship FAQs
When is the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026?
It runs from 23 to 31 October 2026. The start was moved from 21 October a few days before the event, and the official match schedule is still to be published.
Where is the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship being held?
At the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Ahmedabad is also the host city of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Which countries are taking part?
Fourteen nations: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, England, Scotland, Canada, Australia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.
Is kabaddi part of the Commonwealth Games 2030?
Not yet confirmed. India has asked for kabaddi to be added to the Ahmedabad 2030 programme, and this championship serves as a test event to support that bid.
Where can I watch the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship?
In India, matches are on the Star Sports Network with live streaming on the JioStar app and website. International broadcasters have not been announced yet.
What time are the matches in the UK, Canada and Australia?
Times are set in Indian Standard Time. A 7:00 PM IST match starts at 2:30 PM in London before 25 October (1:30 PM after the clocks change), 9:30 AM in Toronto and 12:30 AM the next day in Sydney.
Who is in India’s squad for the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship?
India have named 17 men’s probables, including raiders Naveen Kumar, Bharat Hooda and Pankaj Mohite, and 17 women’s probables, including Pooja Narwal and Simran Kamboj. Final squads will be picked after the national camp. The men’s Asian Games gold-winning players have been rested, and Pawan Sehrawat is not in the list.
Who is India’s coach?
J. Udaya Kumar is head coach, with Manjeet Chhillar and Rohit Kumar as assistant coaches.
Is the match schedule out?
Not yet. The tournament runs from 23 October (opening day) to 31 October (final), but the official draw and match times have not been published. This page will be updated as soon as they are.
Is there a women’s competition?
Yes. Alongside the men’s event, eight nations play in the women’s championship, split into two pools of four, followed by semi-finals and a final. India’s women are the reigning Asian Games champions.
Is Iran playing?
No. Iran is not a Commonwealth country, so India’s main rival from the Asian Games final is not in the field.
Who are the favourites?
India start as favourites as hosts, even though their Asian Games-winning squad has been rested. Pakistan and Bangladesh are the teams most likely to challenge them.
Last updated: 15 October 2026. Details marked TBC will be updated as the organisers confirm them.
