Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 set for Ahmedabad from Oct 21-31

The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India will stage the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship at Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad from 21 to 31 October 2026. The tournament is billed as the first edition of a Commonwealth-level competition for the sport.

AKFI announced the event after the 20th edition of the Asian Games in Japan’s Aichi Prefecture, where India won gold in the kabaddi event after an unbeaten run. The federation described the inaugural edition as a tournament that can potentially open doors that have remained shut for decades for the mat sport. Kabaddi, which grew out of South Asian villages and courtyards, has not achieved medal-sport status at the Commonwealth Games, and it did not become part of the Glasgow 2026 programme.

AKFI has positioned the October championship as a test case to nominate kabaddi as a principal event for the Commonwealth Games 2030. India has been tasked with hosting the Commonwealth Games’ centennial edition in 2030, referred to as Amdavad 2030. The Indian Olympic Association has made a request to include kabaddi as a main event, and organisers say the debut display in late October will serve as an appeal on the same turf as a test run.

The inaugural schedule was originally 10 to 20 October 2026 but was shifted to 21 to 31 October 2026. AKFI said the dates were changed because of significant constraints encountered before finalising the timetable.

The championship will be held at Veer Savarkar Stadium in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The federation noted the same venue is slated to host the centenary Commonwealth Games edition four years later.

The Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 is scheduled for 21st to 31st October 2026 at Veer Savarkar Stadium, Ahmedabad, and organisers intend the event to support the Indian Olympic Association's request to include kabaddi on the 2030 Commonwealth Games programme.