The 72nd Senior National Kabaddi Championship 2026 is currently underway at the Sama Indoor Complex in Vadodara, Gujarat, and will conclude on February 27.
Organised under the aegis of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), this will be the 72nd edition of the National Kabaddi Championship for men.
A total of 29 teams from various States and Union Territories across the country, as well as top institutional teams, are competing for the national kabaddi title this year.
More than 400 players, including Pro Kabaddi stars like Naveen Kumar, Ayan Lohchab, Devank Dalal, Bharat Hooda and Ashu Malik are in action for various teams at the 72nd Senior National Men’s Kabaddi Championship.
Senior National Kabaddi Championship 2026 teams and groups
- Pool A: Services, Chandigarh, Jharkhand
- Pool B: Railways, Odisha, Pondicherry
- Pool C: Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat
- Pool D: Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Manipur, Vidarbha
- Pool E: Haryana, Telangana, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh
- Pool F: Rajasthan, Bihar, Kerala, Chhattisgarh
- Pool G: Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tripura, Delhi
- Pool H: Goa, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand
The National Men’s Kabaddi Championship 2026 kicked off with the group stages.
After round-robin matches, the top two from each group will qualify for the pre-quarterfinals. The semi-finals and the final are scheduled for Friday.
Services are the reigning champions, having won the title last year in Odisha by beating Indian Railways in the final. Haryana won the kabaddi nationals in 2024. Maharashtra and Indian Railways are also top contenders.
This year’s nationals will also serve as a platform for players to stake their claim for a spot in the Indian team for the 2026 Asian Games scheduled for September-October in Japan.
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/72-senior-national-kabaddi-championship-2026-men-results-scores-standings
