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Uganda’s men’s and women’s national kabaddi teams were officially flagged off in Kampala on Friday, October 16, ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad, India. The ceremony took place at Copper Chimney Restaurant in Lugogo and was attended by Milton Chebet, assistant general secretary of Uganda’s National Council of Sports, alongside Uganda Olympic Committee representatives, federation officials and partners. The teams were scheduled to depart Entebbe International Airport on October 19.
Chebet handed the Ugandan national flags to the team captains, Douglas Mulalira for the men and Olivia Nalubega for the women. During the ceremony, he urged the players to work hard and represent their country with commitment at the championship. He also acknowledged the work of the federation, athletes, coaches, sponsors and media in supporting the teams’ preparations.
Kabaddi Federation of Uganda president Jacob Kato and general secretary Edgar Mujuni were also present. The event included representatives of the Uganda Olympic Committee and Plascon Uganda, whose managing director, Santosh, attended the flag-off. The gathering marked the final public send-off before the teams’ planned journey to India.
The men’s team is coached by John Nsibambi Sserubungo, assisted by Patrick Samuel Lubwama. The women’s team is coached by Jane Babiiha Birungi, with Aminah Mukasa as assistant coach. The delegation also includes team managers and international technical officials to support the teams during the competition.
Mulalira expressed confidence in the team’s preparation, referring to the training sessions completed ahead of the tournament and thanking the coaches, federation, National Council of Sports, sponsors and media for their support. The flag-off report described the players as having maintained discipline during the preparation period. Their performance in Ahmedabad will provide the competitive test of that work.
The championship is scheduled to take place in Ahmedabad, India. The official tournament schedule lists the event from October 21 to 27, 2026, with 48 matches planned across two courts over seven days. The competition brings national teams together in men’s and women’s events, giving Uganda an opportunity to test itself against opponents from across the Commonwealth kabaddi circuit.
The teams’ travel date, October 19, leaves a short period between their scheduled arrival and the opening of the competition. That window will be important for travel recovery, accreditation, final training and adapting to the venue. The published schedule is provisional and subject to change, so the teams and supporters should follow official championship updates for the latest match timings.
Sending both men’s and women’s teams gives Uganda representation across the two senior national competitions. International tournaments can help players gain experience against different styles of play, while also giving the federation a benchmark for future development. For a national programme, the results are only one measure: preparation, squad depth and the ability to sustain performance through a tournament schedule are also important.
The flag-off ceremony brought together the public bodies, federation leadership and private partners involved in supporting the delegation. Such coordination is part of the practical work required to send national teams abroad, from training and travel to technical staffing and competition arrangements. Uganda’s players now turn from preparation to the challenge of competing in Ahmedabad.
The next confirmed step in the delegation’s plan is the scheduled departure from Entebbe on October 19. Once the tournament begins, official results and the championship schedule will show how Uganda’s men and women progress through their respective competitions. The federation and team officials have expressed confidence in the preparations, while the matches themselves will determine the campaign’s sporting outcome.
