India names coaching team for Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 in Ahmedabad
India’s coaching staff for the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026 was announced ahead of the tournament in Ahmedabad, which runs from October 21 to 31. The announcement precedes the squad selection from a pool of probable players named by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India.
Fourteen countries are expected to take part in the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026, and organisers have framed the event as having potential influence on the sport’s standing at the Commonwealth Games. The AKFI has named 17 probable players for a practice camp, with the final squad to be selected from that list. Notably, none of the players from India’s gold medal-winning team were included among the probable players.
J. Udaya Kumar has been appointed head coach of the Indian men’s team for the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship 2026. His prior record with India includes guiding the side to Kabaddi World Cup victories in 2004 and 2007 and coaching the national team at the 2002, 2006 and 2014 Asian Games, where India won gold. Udaya Kumar has also worked in the Pro Kabaddi League with the Tamil Thalaivas, and the AKFI expects him to lead the side in Ahmedabad.
Manjeet Chhillar will join the backroom staff to coach the Indian team at the international level. As a player he won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games and was part of India’s 2016 Kabaddi World Cup-winning team. Manjeet has prior coaching experience in the Pro Kabaddi League as assistant coach of the Telugu Titans and will move from that role to work with the national contingent.
Rohit Kumar has been added to the coaching setup after a playing career in which he was regarded as one of the leading raiders. He captained Bengaluru Bulls to the Pro Kabaddi League title in Season 6 and represented India at the 2018 Asian Games, where the team secured bronze. Although his time with the national side as a player was relatively brief, Rohit returns to the national framework as a coach with the intention of applying his experience to the team’s campaign at the Championship.
The coaching appointments have been released while the 17-player probable list remains the basis for selection, with the final squad to be chosen from those names ahead of the tournament. The coaching group combines coaches with previous international gold-medal experience and those recently involved in the Pro Kabaddi League.
India will begin its Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship campaign when the tournament opens on October 21 in Ahmedabad and runs through October 31, with the final squad to be confirmed from the AKFI’s list of 17 probable players.