Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship: India Open Campaign in Ahmedabad Against Malaysia in Women's Event and England in Men's Event

The inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship will begin in Ahmedabad on Friday, with India opening its campaign in both the women's and men's competitions at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. India's women's team, captained by Nidhi Sharma, will face Malaysia at 6:45 PM, while the men's side, led by Surjeet Singh, will take on England at 8:30 PM. The nine-day tournament will run from October 23 to 31 and will feature 23 teams from 13 nations across 62 matches, including 39 men's fixtures and 23 women's matches. The opening match will be a men's Group B encounter between Kenya and Singapore at 11:00 AM. India will be eager to make a strong start in front of home fans, with both squads looking to set the tone for the group stage. The men's competition has 13 teams divided into two groups. India is in Group A with Nigeria, Malaysia, Uganda, England, Tanzania and Sri Lanka. Group B includes Bangladesh, Kenya, Canada, Australia, Scotland and Singapore. India's 14-member men's squad includes vice-captain Naveen Kumar, Sachin Tanwar, Pankaj Mohite, Bharat Hooda, Shubham Shinde and Parvesh Bhainswal. After facing England, India will meet Uganda on October 24, Malaysia on October 25, Nigeria on October 26, Tanzania on October 27 and Sri Lanka on October 29. The group stage will test the team's fitness and consistency, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semifinals. The women's competition features 10 teams in two groups of five. India is in Group A with Singapore, Nigeria, Uganda and Malaysia, while Bangladesh, Kenya, England, Scotland and Sri Lanka form Group B. Ritu is the vice-captain of the Indian women's team, which also includes Muskan Sharma, Riya Kumari, Simran Kamboj and Karthika Ramesh. After the opener against Malaysia, India will face Singapore on October 24, Uganda on October 25 and Nigeria on October 26. The semifinals are scheduled for October 30, with the women's and men's finals set for October 31. The tournament is organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India with approval from the International Kabaddi Federation. It comes as Ahmedabad prepares to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and the event is seen as an important step toward raising kabaddi's global profile and testing the city's readiness for major multi-sport competitions. For India, the first day will be crucial. A win for the women's team against Malaysia would provide confidence, while the men's team will look to impose its strength against England. With home support and a balanced squad, India will aim to begin strongly and build momentum for the knockout stage. The tournament will conclude on October 31 with the finals, bringing the first Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship to a close.