India Set Up Double Final At Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship
India鈥檚 men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams stormed into the finals of the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship with convincing semifinal wins in Ahmedabad on Friday. The men defeated Bangladesh 56-27 to set up a clash with Sri Lanka, while the women beat Sri Lanka 39-14 and will face Uganda in the title decider.
India Men Dominate Bangladesh In Semifinal
India made a strong start against Bangladesh, inflicting the first All-Out within five minutes. Naveen Kumar and Neeraj Narwal led the raiding effort, while Deepak S and Shubham Shinde strengthened the defence.
The hosts went into half-time with a commanding 28-8 lead after securing a second All-Out. They continued to control the contest after the break, extending their advantage to 38-16 with 10 minutes remaining.
Bharat Hooda helped India inflict another All-Out late in the match as the team moved ahead 49-20 before sealing a 56-27 victory.
Bharat led the scoring with 13 points, followed by Shivam Patare with 11 and Neeraj Narwal with nine. Ajit Pawar also made an impact in defence, recording five tackle points from eight tackles.
India finished with 37 raid points, 12 tackle points and six All-Out points.
Sri Lanka booked their place in the men’s final with a 28-24 win over Kenya. Milinda Chathuranga and Sabihan scored six points each, while Made Dwiki Sanjaya contributed five tackle points. Kenya’s Helvic Wanjala led their scoring with nine points.
India Women Set Up Final Against Uganda
India鈥檚 women were equally dominant, defeating Sri Lanka 39-14 after taking a 24-7 lead into half-time.
Sakshi top-scored with 11 points, including eight raid points and three tackle points. Captain Nidhi Sharma added 10 points from 12 raids, while Ritu contributed four tackle points and Suman scored three. India inflicted three All-Outs during the contest.
Sri Lanka managed only eight successful raids, with Diluxshana finishing as their leading scorer with six points.
Uganda secured the other place in the women’s final after edging Kenya 23-21 in a closely fought semifinal. Nakayongo Shirat and substitute Nalwoga Nahia scored eight points each, while captain Nalubega Olivia added three tackle points.
Uganda led 12-9 at half-time and held an 18-12 advantage with seven minutes left. Kenya fought back through Lavenda Odhiambo, who scored 16 raid points, but Uganda held on to secure the win.
The first-half All-Out and a perfect five-from-five record in do-or-die raids proved crucial for Uganda.
The women’s final between India and Uganda is scheduled for 7.30 pm on Saturday, followed by the men’s title clash between India and Sri Lanka at 9 pm.
