Surjeet Singh has led the Indian team brilliantly at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships so far. Under his captaincy, the Indian side has qualified for the final without losing a single match.
The Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) has brought together 400 players across 23 teams in men’s and women’s categories for the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships in Ahmedabad. The winners of the International Kabaddi Federation-approved tournament will take the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships trophy home.
India have qualified for the final in both the men’s and women’s categories. While the women’s team will take on Uganda in the final, the men’s team will battle their neighbors Sri Lanka in the summit clash on October 31.
Ahead of the big game, Sportskeeda caught up with Indian captain Surjeet Singh for an exclusive chat, where he spoke about a range of topics. When asked about how he feels leading the country at such a grand event, the veteran defender replied:
“It’s a big thing to be the captain of a country like India. I feel proud leading the Indian kabaddi team. My family is proud of my achievement. It is the best feeling for me as a kabaddi player.”
As mentioned ahead, teams from across the world have participated in the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships. Several new nations received an opportunity to showcase their talent at the big stage, and four African countries impressed the Indian captain a lot.
“The African countries – Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and even Nigeria have impressed me in the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships 2026. Most of these guys have started playing kabaddi only recently but it looks like they have been playing for a long time. They’ll have strong teams in the near future, I’m sure about that,” Surjeet said.
India played against Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria in the group stage. Kenya topped the points table in the opposite group but they lost against Sri Lanka in the semifinal played on October 30.
“As a captain, I need to focus on my own performance and maintain the team’s balance”- Surjeet Singh talks about new challenge in Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships
Surjeet Singh has been an active kabaddi player for over a decade now. While he has always done an excellent job as a defender, he has an added responsibility of captaincy at the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championships 2026.
When asked if the tag of team captain has put any pressure on him or forced him to change his game, Surjeet answered:
“I don’t think there have been too many changes. As a youngster, you play with a free mind, but once you are a senior player, you need to look after the team as well. As a captain, I need to focus on my own performance and maintain the team’s balance as well. So, yes that’s the only change.”
Surjeet Singh will be in action, captaining the Indian team in the final against Sri Lanka on October 31. It will be exciting to see if Surjeet can lead the country to a historic title win in Ahmedabad.
Edited by Vinay Chhabria
