Bhubaneswar: Team India had an easy win over UAE in their tournament opener of the Asia Rugby Sevens U18 Girls Championship at the Kalinga Stadium here on Friday.
The girls put up an impressive show in front of the home crowd, by defeating their opponent 22-5.
All five players from Odisha – Sumitra Nayak (vice captain), Soni Mandangi, Jemamani Naik, Lija Sardar and Parbati Kisku – were in the team that was fielded against UAE.
High on confidence, the girls will take on Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to wrap up their group matches on Saturday.
Earlier inaugurating the championship, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik welcomed the participants from 12 countries. “This is yet another historic event as this championship is the first ever International Age Rugby Tournament to be hosted in India. Being hosted ahead of the Men’s Hockey World Cup, this event is going to set the sporting spirit of the city soaring,” he said.
