Commonwealth Kabaddi Day One: Kenya, Sri Lanka, Scotland Score Wins
Day one of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 delivered a series of one-sided and closely contested matches in Ahmedabad. Kenya, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Uganda all recorded wins on Friday at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.
Kenya's men were the first to take the court in a major way, winning 48-28 against Singapore. Captain-level leadership came from James Kamweti, who scored 19 points, while Samuel Wafula and Stephen Adongo added eight and seven points.
The women's team faced Bangladesh in a match that required patience. Kenya prevailed 34-25 and were 28-11 ahead at halftime.
Defence proved decisive for Kenya. Wafula and Alan Omondi together collected six tackle points. Kamweti, Reuben Njuguna, Jeremiah Ongaga, Ryan Neville Onyango, Hosea Muthi and Helvis Simuyuwanjala also added tackle points, giving Kenya a 12-6 edge over Singapore in that area. Singapore's Mohammed Aidil Mutalib (nine points) and Aadit Senthilkumar (six points) led their scoring, but Kenya won the raiding battle 32-20.
Sri Lanka's men beat Tanzania 48-21. Milinda Chathuranga (11 points) and Adhan Viduranga (10 points) were the main contributors. Sri Lanka's attack produced 25 raid points to Tanzania's nine, and Sri Lanka also led the tackle count 13-12. The team all-out Tanzania three times. Juma Sultania was the highest scorer for Tanzania with seven points.
Scotland's men were dominant against Australia, winning 59-30. Their attack yielded 40 raid points and their defence contributed eight tackle points. Scotland all-out Australia four times. Jasmeet Grewal scored eight points for Australia.
Uganda's women thrashed Singapore's women 61-12, leading 35-1 at the break. In Kenya's women's match against Bangladesh, Lavenda Odhiambo delivered the day's standout individual performance with 25 points. Kenya all-out Bangladesh four times. The first half remained close, with Kenya ahead 12-7, and Kenya also won the raid count 26-21. For Bangladesh, Anjuara Ratri and Shrabony Mallik scored seven points each, while Bristi Biswas made five. Bangladesh repeatedly narrowed the margin but could not build the decisive lead required to win.