Bangladesh began the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in style, beating Canada 67-28 in their opening men’s match in Ahmedabad, India, on Saturday, October 24. The win eased the sting of a disappointing start by the women’s team in the competition.

The Group B match was played at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. Bangladesh, with Mizanur, Nasir and their teammates setting the pace, controlled the contest from start to finish, piling up attacking points while keeping Canada under constant pressure.

Canada fell behind early and never found a way to resist Bangladesh’s attack. The men kept up their attacking approach to the final whistle, securing a big winning margin that should give the squad confidence before its next outing.

Bangladesh face Kenya in their second match on Sunday, October 25. Kenya opened their campaign with a 48-28 win over Singapore, so the Group B meeting gives an early test of how far the attacking start can carry the side.

The 13 team competition is split into two groups. Group A has hosts India, Nigeria, Malaysia, Uganda, England, Tanzania and Sri Lanka, while Group B has Bangladesh, Kenya, Canada, Australia, Scotland and Singapore