Bhubaneswar: The winners’ trophy of the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 was unveiled here on Friday by Odisha Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
The international competition will be held at the Kalinga Stadium on November 14 and 15.
Seventeen teams from 10 Asian nations will vie for top honours, with 10 competing in men’s competition and 7 in women’s event. Besides hosts India, the other participating countries are Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong China, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei, Nepal and Jordan.
Indian men will face Hong Kong China, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei and Nepal in Group A.
In women’s event, India have been placed in Group D along with Sri Lanka, Singapore and Nepal. The finals will be held on November 15.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻! 🏆 🏉 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗥𝘂𝗴𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗨20 𝗦𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀 2026 Hon’ble Minister, Sports and Youth Services, Sri @suryabanshibjp unveiled the championship trophy of Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 at #KalingaStadium in the presence of officials from @asiarugby, @RugbyIndia, @odisha_rugby and captains of all teams. #OdishaForSports #Rugby #AREU20 #AsiaRugby #RugbySevens
— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) November 13, 2026
To encourage rugby lovers, the organisers have made entry free for the matches at Kalinga Stadium.
“India is steadily strengthening its position as an emerging rugby nation in Asia, with growing participation, development initiatives and an increasing presence on the international stage. Hosting the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens 2026 further reinforces this progress and provides an important platform for the next generation of Indian players to compete against the best age-grade teams in the region,” said Asia Rugby CEO Benjamin van Rooyen.
Sports minister Suraj said Odisha was delighted to host the Asia Rugby meet in Bhubaneswar.
“Our continued investment in sporting infrastructure and commitment to hosting major competitions reflect our ambition to create opportunities for athletes at every level. We are equally focused on identifying talent at the grassroots, nurturing young athletes and providing them with the right training and support to excel at national and international levels. We warmly welcome all participating teams and officials to Odisha and wish them an exciting and memorable championship,” said Suraj.
