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Uganda’s national women’s kabaddi team, the She Gladiators, settled for a historic silver medal at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship after falling 35-15 to hosts India in a thrilling final on Saturday in Ahmedabad.

The Ugandans had set their sights on capping a remarkable campaign with gold, but they encountered a relentless Indian side that maintained an unbeaten streak throughout the tournament to become the first women’s champions of the competition.

Despite the final defeat, the silver medal represents a significant milestone for the emerging sport in Uganda. The She Gladiators demonstrated impressive growth and tactical maturity to reach the final, negotiating a fiercely competitive group stage before defeating regional rivals Kenya in the semi-finals.

The final showcased the gap that remains between the burgeoning East African nation and the sport’s powerhouse. India, the reigning world champions, took control early in the match, building an insurmountable lead in the first half before keeping Uganda at arm’s length after the interval.

The hosts were led by Sakshi, who spearheaded the Indian attack with nine raid points from 10 raids. She was ably supported by Anu with six points and captain Nidhi Sharma with five, while defenders Ritu and Suman anchored the backline with four tackle points apiece.

Uganda struggled to contain India’s raiders early on, failing to register a single successful tackle from nine attempts in the opening half. The hosts surged to a 22-7 lead at half-time, powered by a 15-point scoring spell that included an All-Out. A second All-Out with less than 10 minutes remaining in the second half effectively dashed any lingering hopes of a Ugandan fightback.

Star raider Shirat Nakayongo delivered an outstanding solo effort for Uganda, scoring 11 of the team’s 15 total points from 24 raids, including three bonus points. However, the rest of the offensive unit managed just three points, with semi-final hero Nahia Nalwoga restricted to a single point. Jemima Zalwango registered Uganda’s only successful tackle of the match.

The Ugandans mounted a much-improved performance in the second half, outscoring India 7-6 on raid points, but the early damage proved too severe to overcome.

“Winning silver at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship is a big achievement for Uganda and a reflection of the progress our athletes have made,” said Uganda Kabaddi Federation general secretary Edgar Mujuni following the match. “We came here with ambitions of competing for the title, and although we fell short, reaching the final is an important milestone.”

Mujuni emphasized that the exposure to elite international competition will prove vital for the future of Ugandan kabaddi. “The experience gained from playing against established teams will be valuable as we continue developing the sport,” he added. “Our focus now should be on building on this performance, strengthening our domestic structures and creating more opportunities for our players to compete internationally.”

Uganda’s route to the final was highlighted by a nerve-shredding 23-21 victory over neighbours Kenya in the semi-finals. In that tense encounter, Nalwoga and Nakayongo chipped in eight points each, while captain Olivia Nalubega anchored the defense with three tackle points. The She Gladiators held a 12-9 half-time lead and pushed ahead to 18-12 with seven minutes remaining before withstanding a fierce late comeback from Kenya’s Lavenda Odhiambo, who finished with 16 points. Uganda’s ability to convert all five of their do-or-die raids and inflict an All-Out proved decisive.

Prior to the knockout rounds, Uganda finished second in Group A to secure their semi-final berth.

Meanwhile, Uganda’s men’s team, the Gladiators, endured a tougher campaign in India. They finished third in Group A with four victories and two defeats, missing out on the semi-finals despite accumulating eight points. India went on to sweep the tournament by winning the men’s title as well, with Sri Lanka finishing as runners-up, while Bangladesh and Kenya shared the bronze medal.

The inaugural championship, hosted at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, provided both Ugandan squads with a vital international platform to gauge their development against world-class opposition.

“It was an eye-opening tournament for our players, but showing that we can stand on the podium alongside traditional powerhouses proves we are on the right path,” noted She Gladiators captain Olivia Nalubega after the medal presentation. “We are going back home with our heads held high and a silver medal that belongs to all of Uganda.”

Both the women’s and men’s delegations are expected to touch down at Entebbe International Airport on Monday.

Final exams are here and, for once, I am paying attention to the events leading up to them. So far, I have seen the exorbitantly priced success gifts, the dedication services and the jovial mood surrounding that final meeting between parent and child.We bless the Lord for the changing times because, back then, apart from the last visitation before my final exams, I never had a dedication service. Was it just my school? My people, tell me. Did you have dedication services while all we got was one final stern warning to ensure we performed well?That warning carried enough weight to see one through the entire examination period without messing around.This is how that last visitation played out. After a round of discussions with the teachers, my mother would study my report card again, critique the marks and remind me of everything the teachers had said. All this while, my father said very little because, more often than not, the atmosphere was already charged.You see, the teachers had caught on to the fact that my mother listened to them more than she listened to me. So, they shared even what was unnecessary. With the atmosphere that tense, the best we could do was listen and nod.Somewhere in that conversation, she would remind me that I came from a poor family.’I am a poor woman. I do not pick money from a tree. You had better read hard because I have no mother or father to seek help from.’Then, almost immediately, she would add, ‘And if you fail Maths, you will repeat.’At A-level, the warning was even more frightening. She told me I would repeat the entire the two classes!Forget the fact that the two statements were contradictory. The fear had already been planted, and I simply had to read.But looking back, I wonder whether she thought I actually wanted to repeat a class. Why would I fancy sitting before the same teachers who had terrorised me throughout the year? Besides, I was already tired of reading abstract stuff. Another year in the same class was punishment enough without anyone raising a cane against me.So yes, some of us read out of fear because we knew that whatever awaited us if we failed was more than we could handle.Looking at what happens today, beyond the fancy success gifts, there are dedication services, encouraging pep talks, hugs, pats on the back and reassuring smiles.Ehhh, I kind of envy you Gen Zs!Could it be that these millennial parents had had enough of being terrified and decided that the cycle should end with them? I hope not entirely, because I do believe some stern warnings were necessary to keep some of us in line.But how I wish we had never been reminded of our poverty or the fact that our grandparents were not there to help.Mind you, both grandmothers were still alive. But maybe, just maybe, they were not in a position to pay our school fees.Forget about the lament…I wish you all the best in your exams. Go and ace! The writer, Joan Salmon, is a parent.