Uganda’s Gladiators and She Gladiators suffered defeats on Sunday after the men surrendered a late lead to Sri Lanka in their third group match, while the women fell to hosts India at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad.
The Gladiators lost 36–34 to Sri Lanka, while the She Gladiators were beaten 41–18 by India at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura.
For the men, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow after they had put themselves in a strong position to win, only to watch Sri Lanka snatch victory in the closing stages.
Uganda led by three points at half-time and appeared to have the upper hand. However, Sri Lanka refused to give up, turning the contest around with a late surge that left the Gladiators empty-handed.
With 10 minutes remaining, Sri Lanka trailed 27–18 but found another gear to overturn the nine-point deficit and secure a narrow two-point victory.
Milinda Chathuranga led Sri Lanka with 11 points, while Sabihan added nine. Douglas Mulalira was Uganda’s leading scorer with eight points, and Jimmy Sengendo contributed six.
The victory extended Sri Lanka’s unbeaten run to three matches and strengthened their grip on the top of Men’s Group A.
Sri Lanka lead the standings with six points from three wins, having scored 134 points and conceded 83 for a positive difference of 51. India are second with four points from two matches, while England and Tanzania have two points each from two games.
Uganda sit fifth with two points from three matches, having won once and lost twice. The Gladiators have scored 109 points and conceded the same number, leaving their points difference at zero.
Malaysia and Nigeria complete the standings without a win after losing their opening two matches.
The Gladiators must now put the disappointment behind them as they prepare to face England on Monday, October 26, in their next group-stage match.
She Gladiators fall to India
The She Gladiators also had a difficult afternoon, falling 41–18 to hosts India in the women’s second group A match.
India took charge early, opening up a 22–9 lead by half-time before maintaining their advantage to win by 23 points.
Indian captain Nidhi Sharma led the attack with nine raid points, while Anu Kumari added seven. Ritu anchored the defence, collecting five tackle points to earn a High Five.
Uganda struggled to keep pace with the hosts, although Namataka Beatrice provided a moment of excitement in the second half with a superb four-point super raid.
That effort offered a glimpse of Uganda’s attacking threat, but it was not enough to change the course of the match as India remained in control.
Despite showing tactical discipline and flashes of good defending, the She Gladiators could not bridge the gap after falling behind in the first half.
The victory was India’s third consecutive win in the women’s group stage, maintaining their perfect start to the championship on home soil.
Gladiators must now reset quickly, with Malaysia standing between the She Gladiators and a chance to respond when the two sides meet on Monday, October 26.
Only the top two in their respective group will escape the group stage into the semifinal stage.
