Uganda’s She Gladiators will have an opportunity to avenge their earlier defeat to India when the two sides clash for gold at the inaugural 2026 Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
The Ugandan women secured their place in the final after surviving a late Kenyan fightback to register a narrow 23–21 semi-final victory at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex on Friday, October 30.
The result sets up a rematch against hosts India, who handed Uganda a commanding 41–18 defeat during the group stage, exposing the gulf between the two sides.
India have maintained an impressive run throughout the competition, winning all four of their Group A matches before reinforcing their title credentials with a convincing 39–14 semi-final triumph over Sri Lanka.
Playing before their home supporters, the hosts dictated proceedings through disciplined defending and coordinated raiding, leaving Sri Lanka with little room to threaten their progress.
Uganda, meanwhile, had to demonstrate considerable resilience to overcome Kenya in a fiercely contested East African derby.
The She Gladiators initially established an advantage, but Kenya gradually clawed their way back into contention, turning the encounter into a tense battle in which every point carried enormous significance.
Uganda ultimately held their nerve to secure a two-point victory, keeping alive their hopes of claiming the championship’s inaugural women’s gold medal.
Their semi-final performance offers encouragement ahead of Saturday’s decisive encounter, although a significantly improved display will be necessary against an Indian side that has combined defensive solidity with clinical raiding.
The earlier group-stage defeat provides Uganda with a clear measure of the challenge awaiting them, but the final presents an opportunity to demonstrate how much they have learnt since that encounter.
India will be eager to preserve their unbeaten record and crown their impressive campaign with gold on home soil.
For Uganda, however, the mission is straightforward: transform the lessons of their previous defeat into a performance capable of overturning the hosts and securing a historic Commonwealth Kabaddi title.
The She Gladiators now stand one victory away from rewriting their Ahmedabad story.
