Veer Savarkar Sports Complex: Kenya and Bangladesh cemented the top two spots in Men’s Group B with commanding victories on the sixth day of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.
While Kenya defeated previously unbeaten Canada 49-20, Bangladesh breezed past Australia 69-30 to keep their semifinal hopes alive. Led by Viduranga (11 points) and Lakshita (nine points), Sri Lankan men, too, scored a facile 50-22 win over England to book their place in the semi-final. Sri Lanka plays India in the last clash to decide Group A topper on Thursday.
The Kenyan men’s all-round game proved too much for Canada. Contributions from eleven players were central to their win, with Stephen Adongo scoring six points and Rodgers Atieno and Samuel Wafula chipping in with five points each. They outscored Canada 24-13 and won 15 tackle points compared to seven bagged by Canada, apart from inflicting four all-outs on them.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh relied on Dipayon Golder’s 21 points and Md Liton Ali’s 14 points to trounce Australia by 39 points. Ibrahim Khaleel and Amol Roy scored seven points each as Bangladesh outraided Australia 41-30.
Bangladesh scored 15 tackle points to Australia’s one. Twelve all-outs were inflicted on Australia, with three of them coming in the first 15 minutes, as Bangladesh put in a dominant display to cement second place in Group B.
Malaysia and Uganda also enjoyed victories on the day, but in contrasting manners. While Malaysia eased past Nigeria 78-13 in a Group B clash, Uganda pipped Tanzania (35-28) by seven points in a thrilling encounter, which ebbed and flowed.
Uganda held a slender 16-14 lead at half-time. However, the former turned it on in the second half, inflicting a crucial all-out in the last moments to widen the gap, which their East African neighbours were unable to bridge. Uganda outscored Tanzania 19-16 in raid points and 15-11 in tackle points in their victory.
Earlier, Ugandan women put on a fabulous show to register a comprehensive 65-22 victory over Nigeria and march into the semifinals of the competition. Their victory sets up a semifinal showdown against fellow African counterparts and Group B topper Kenya, while hosts India, who topped Group A, lock horns with South Asian neighbour Sri Lanka in the other semifinal.
Uganda, who needed a victory to consolidate the second spot in the group, were neck-and-neck with Nigeria in the initial phase of the match. Uganda was leading 16-9 when the Nigerian coach called a timeout. After the timeout, Uganda asserted themselves and went on a 18-0 run. At half-time, Uganda led 35-12, a lead that all but ensured their entry into the last four.
Nalwoga Nahia with 22 points and Nalubega Olivia with 11 points were pivotal to Uganda’s win. The latter outscored Nigeria 44-15 in raid points and 12-5 in tackle points, apart from inflicting eight all-outs en route to the triumph.
In the day’s first match, Bangladesh women, riding on Sraboni Mollick’s 27 points and Bristhi Biswas’s 12 points, hammered England 79-13 in a lopsided clash. Bangladesh ended the group assignments with two victories and two losses.
Nalwoga Nahia with 22 points and Nalubega Olivia with 11 points were pivotal to Uganda’s win. The latter outscored Nigeria 44-15 in raid points and 12-5 in tackle points, apart from inflicting eight all-outs en route to the triumph.
Article Source: IANS
