Bhubaneswar: Rugby India on Tuesday announced that Indian Junior Girls Rugby squad will take part in the Asia Rugby U18 Girls Rugby Sevens Championship 2021 to be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on September 18 and 19.
The team comprising 14 players and five officials have left for Tashkent where five Asian nations — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, United Arab Emirates (UAE), India and host Uzbekistan – are participating. Three girls from Odisha figure in the team — Tarulata Naik, Mama Naik and Nirmalya Rout.
According to Rugby India president Vikram Ahuja, the Indian National U18 Girls Rugby team is supported by Societe Generale, Government of Odisha and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), BLK (match kit partner), Fast & Up (nutrition partner), BLADE India and Abhinav Bindra. He hoped that the U18 Girls team will deliver its best and make the country proud.
The 14 players who will represent India at Asia Rugby Championship are: Anshika Chauhan (Captain) Delhi, Tarulata Naik, Odisha, Nandini, Delhi, Mama Naik, Odisha, Gomti, Delhi, Nirmalya Rout, Odisha, Chanel Crizzle, Goa, Arti Kumari, Bihar, Akanksha Anand Katkade, Maharashtra, Sapna Kumari, Bihar, Vaishnavi Dattatray Patil, Maharashtra, Nikita Oraon, Bengal, Lavanya Jagdish Adusumalli, Maharashtra, and Sonali Oraon, Bengal.
A total of 52 girls from 13 states/UTs were shortlisted on the basis of their performance at Sub Junior National Championships, National School Games Rugby Championships and their fitness and skill test results. The shortlisted girls attended the National training and selection camp on KIIT University campus from August 14 to September 13. Renowned coaches from South Africa, Hendrik ‘Naas’ Botha, Ludwiche Van Deventer, along with Indian Women’s Rugby Team captain Vahbiz Bharucha have trained the Under 18 Girls rugby team.
