Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026: Kenya, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Canada Impress on Day Five
Day Five of the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 brought a lively schedule of women’s and men’s fixtures to the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. Malaysia claimed victories in both competitions, while Kenya, Bangladesh and Canada also delivered commanding performances. Across the day, sharp raiding, disciplined defence and multiple all-outs shaped the results—and had a direct impact on the race for the semi-finals.
Kenya’s women continued their strong campaign with a comprehensive win over Scotland, while Malaysia’s women kept their qualification hopes alive by defeating Singapore. In the men’s competition, Bangladesh, Canada and Malaysia each secured convincing wins, led by standout contributions from Md Rahman, Anmol Thakur and Ravidran Vicram.
Kenya Women Maintain Momentum with 61–16 Win
Kenya Women produced one of the day’s most decisive results, beating Scotland Women 61–16. Already assured of a place in the last four, Kenya showed little sign of easing off, applying pressure from the opening exchanges and building a substantial lead through consistent raids and effective team play.
Lavenda Odhiambo led Kenya with 16 points, setting the pace in attack. Esther Omolo added nine points, while Joy Vanessa Onyango contributed six. Kenya finished with 37 raid points and inflicted eight all-outs, repeatedly putting Scotland under pressure and limiting its chances to build momentum.
Scotland managed 12 raid points and four tackle points, but struggled to contain Kenya’s attacking movement. The result underlined Kenya’s balance: its raiders created scoring opportunities, while the team’s overall pressure helped turn those chances into repeated all-outs. With a semi-final place already secured, Kenya will now look to carry that confidence into the knockout stage.
Malaysia Women Keep Semi-Final Hopes Alive
Malaysia Women strengthened their position in the qualification race with a 62–17 victory over Singapore Women. The result was built on a forceful attacking display, with Malaysia earning 37 raid points and inflicting five all-outs to establish control of the match.
Shamithra was Malaysia’s leading scorer with 17 points, supported by Darsini’s 12 and Bramakumari’s six. Their contributions helped Malaysia maintain a steady flow of points and keep Singapore’s defence under pressure throughout the contest.
Singapore recorded 14 raid points and three tackle points, but could not match Malaysia’s scoring rate. The win keeps Malaysia’s women in contention for a semi-final place, although the team still needs another victory to remain in the qualification picture. That makes every remaining match especially important, with little room for error as the group stage progresses.
Bangladesh Outscore Singapore in Men’s Kabaddi
In the men’s competition, Bangladesh defeated Singapore 60–28 with an efficient performance across both halves of the game. Bangladesh scored 39 raid points and inflicted three all-outs, using its attacking depth to create separation on the scoreboard.
Md Rahman topped Bangladesh’s scoring with 12 points, while Md Hasibul Hossain added eight and Akash Md Julfiker contributed six. Bangladesh also received a significant defensive contribution from Sheikh Razu, who led the team with six tackle points. That defensive support helped Bangladesh turn its attacking advantage into a convincing margin.
Singapore’s Aadit Senthilkumar was his side’s top scorer with 11 points, but the team struggled to keep pace with Bangladesh’s overall efficiency. The result highlighted how important it is in kabaddi to combine productive raids with timely tackles: Singapore had individual scoring moments, yet Bangladesh was more consistent in converting pressure into points.
Anmol Thakur Powers Canada Past Scotland
Canada delivered another strong men’s performance, defeating Scotland 62–30. The Canadians combined high-scoring raids with pressure that repeatedly disrupted Scotland’s defence, finishing with 37 raid points and four all-outs.
Anmol Thakur led the way with 19 points, providing the biggest individual contribution of the match. Manpreet Singh added 15 points, while Anand chipped in with nine. The three leading scorers gave Canada multiple attacking options, making it difficult for Scotland to focus its defensive efforts on a single raider.
Scotland recorded 18 raid points and nine tackle points, but could not prevent Canada from building a commanding lead. Canada’s performance was notable not only for its scoring total but also for the variety of contributions across the lineup—an encouraging sign as the men’s competition continues.
Malaysia Men Complete a Double with Win Over England
Malaysia rounded out a successful day by defeating England 55–29 in the men’s competition. The Malaysian side showed strength in both phases of play, collecting 27 raid points and 19 tackle points while inflicting four all-outs.
Ravidran Vicram led Malaysia with 14 points, and Isaac Alton added eight. Rama Naidu Madhava Rao made a notable impact in defence, recording seven tackle points. Malaysia’s defensive output proved particularly important, helping the team limit England’s opportunities even when the English side found ways to score through raids.
England finished with 25 raid points but managed only three tackle points, a gap that reflected Malaysia’s stronger defensive performance. The result gave Malaysia wins in both the men’s and women’s competitions on Day Five, making the team one of the day’s standout nations.
What Day Five Means for the Championship
The latest results sharpened the competition across both categories. Kenya’s women have already secured a semi-final berth and will enter the knockout phase with confidence after another emphatic win. Malaysia’s women, meanwhile, remain in the hunt but must continue winning to keep their hopes alive.
In the men’s tournament, Bangladesh, Canada and Malaysia each strengthened their campaigns with substantial victories. Their performances also demonstrated the value of a balanced kabaddi approach: aggressive raiding can create a lead, but disciplined tackling and coordinated defence are often what keep opponents from closing the gap.
With the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 continuing in Ahmedabad, the remaining fixtures promise more high-stakes action. Teams chasing semi-final places will need to manage pressure, make the most of scoring opportunities and limit costly defensive lapses. Day Five offered a clear reminder that in kabaddi, momentum can shift quickly—and the sides that combine individual brilliance with collective execution are best placed to advance.
