Uganda’s She Gladiators may have fallen short of gold, but they left Ahmedabad with a piece of history after winning silver at the inaugural 2026 Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in India.

The Ugandans bowed 35-15 to hosts India in Saturday’s women’s final at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex on October 31, but their run to the gold medal match was already a landmark achievement, making them the first African nation to reach the championship final.

Against a formidable Indian side, the She Gladiators struggled to find their rhythm early on, with the hosts using their defensive organisation and sharp raiding to take control of the contest.

India inflicted two all-outs on Uganda and established a commanding 22-7 lead by half-time, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.

The Ugandans returned with greater determination after the break and managed to outscore the hosts 7-6 on raid points in the second half. However, India’s defensive strength proved difficult to break down as the hosts comfortably protected their advantage to claim gold.

Nakayongo Shirat was Uganda’s standout performer, shouldering much of the attacking responsibility. She attempted 24 of the team’s 35 raids and finished as the leading individual scorer in the final with 11 points, including three bonus points.

Her contribution accounted for all but four of Uganda’s 15 points.

For India, Sakshi led the raiding department with nine points from 10 raids, while Anu contributed six and captain Nidhi Sharma added five. Defenders Ritu and Suman also played important roles, registering four tackle points apiece.

The match statistics reflected India’s dominance. The hosts collected 20 raid points against Uganda’s 14, and 10 tackle points compared to Uganda’s solitary point. India also inflicted two all-outs, while the She Gladiators failed to register any.

Jemima Zalwango provided Uganda’s only tackle point in the second half, successfully bringing down an Indian raider.

A journey worth celebrating

Although the final did not go Uganda’s way, reaching that stage required resilience, character and a strong response to setbacks.

The She Gladiators began their Group A campaign impressively, overwhelming Singapore 61-12 before running into the tournament favourites, India, who handed them a 41-18 defeat.

The loss left Uganda with work to do, and they responded when it mattered most.

Facing Nigeria with their semifinal hopes at stake, the Ugandans produced one of their finest performances of the tournament, cruising to a 65-22 victory.

The emphatic 43-point win secured the fourth and final semifinal position, with captain Olivia Nalubega also earning the Best Rider of the Match award.

Their reward was an East African derby against Kenya, but reaching the final was anything but straightforward.

Uganda started brightly, racing into a 12-4 lead and appearing to have the contest under control. Kenya, however, refused to surrender and fought their way back into the match, turning the second half into a tense battle.

With the two sides separated by very little, the outcome came down to the final raid. The She Gladiators kept their composure when it mattered, scoring the decisive points to escape with a dramatic 23-21 victory.

That result secured Uganda’s historic passage into the final and guaranteed them a place on the podium.

While India eventually stood between them and gold, the silver medal was a fitting reward for a team that had battled its way into the history books.

Men bow out despite four wins

Uganda’s men’s team, the Gladiators, had a less successful campaign, failing to advance from Group A despite registering three victories.

They began brightly with a 45-29 victory over Malaysia on the opening day, recording Uganda’s first win of the championship.

However, the challenge became tougher against India, who claimed a 44-30 victory despite a spirited Ugandan performance.

Daglas Mulalira led Uganda’s attack with nine raid points as the team matched India’s 27 raid points. The difference came in defence, where India managed 11 successful tackle points against Uganda’s three.

The Gladiators then suffered a painful 36-34 defeat to Sri Lanka in a closely fought encounter, a result that badly dented their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.

They recovered in style on October 26, overwhelming England 47-22, a 35-28 victory over Tanzania on Wednesday, October 28, in an East African derby before finishing their group assignments with a win against Nigeria.

However, the two defeats against India and Sri Lanka proved costly, leaving the men outside the semifinal places.

At the end of it all, India won both titles after beating Sri Lanka 54-20 in the men’s Finals.