Pune (Maharastra)[India], June 18 (ANI): The 9th Junior and 11th Senior Rugby National Championships are set to kick off later this month with 28 states and over 1300 athletes vying for the top spots in the junior's and senior's category.
The championship starts with the junior U/18 girls' leg, slated to be played on June 19 and June 20 followed by the U/18 boys on June 25 and June 26. The senior category for the men shall be held from June 29 to June 30, followed by the women who shall play between July 3 to July 4, at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium in Balewadi, Pune.
"The year 2024 is an important one for Indian Rugby. The composition of our Indian National teams that shall compete at the Asian frontier this year shall be forged from the player pool identified at these national championships. Rugby India is delighted to host the nationals at the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex Stadium. Our sincere thanks to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the Govt. of Maharashtra, and the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services - Govt. of Maharashtra, for their constant support" Said Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union.
The championship will witness senior talent that are regular names in the men's and women's national team for the last few years. The men's defending champions, Haryana have Prince Khatri, Mohit Khatri, Deepak Punia, Ajay Deswal and Neeraj Khatri in their squad with Odisha at their heels with Ajit Hansdah, Ganesh Majhi, Shehnawaz Ahmed and Asis Sabar. Defending champions on the women's side, Odisha can boast of the likes of Tarulata Naik, Hupi Majhi, Dumini Marndi and Niramaya Raut while Akanksha Katkade, Kalyani Patil, Vahbiz Bharucha, Ujjwala Gughe from Maharashtra will be keen to topple the leaders.
Odisha, are looking to repeat their unbeaten record from last year both in the juniors and senior women's categories but will come up against strong competition from Maharashtra and West Bengal represented by Sandhya Rai and Lachmi Orao, who will be looking to knock them off their perch. Defending champions in the boys and men's category, Bihar and Haryana respectively, will also face strong resistance from a competitive men's pool with the likes of Odisha, West Bengal, and Maharashtra, all hoping to win this championship.
Watch Rugby India's National 7s Championships live on FanCode. (ANI)
