14-member Indian Women’s Rugby 7s team rares to go for Asian Games

The 14-member Indian Women’s Rugby Sevens team for the 2023 Asian Games will be finalised at the ongoing two-month camp being held at the SAI centre in Kolkata. A total of 40 probables have been brought to the camp, from whom the final squad will be selected.

A milestone achievement for Indian Rugby, the Indian women’s team is looking to showcase their game at the 19th Asian Games 2023 held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China from 23 September to 8 October 2023. Ranked 7th in Asia, the Indian team will be looking for their first podium finish at the Asiad.

“This is a great day in the history of Indian Rugby. We are privileged to have the opportunity for our women to compete at the Asian Games. Seeded 7th, we hope that our women will punch above their weight. Preparations are in full swing here at SAI, Kolkata, where the team will train for a period of around two months, before they leave for Hangzhou, China on 20 September 2023. During this period, the team shall also visit Borneo as a part of an international exposure tour," said Mr. Rahul Bose, President of the Indian Rugby Football Union.

The final traveling team that will go to the Asian Games will be announced at the camp that started on the 29th of July 2023 and will go on till the 20th of September. Players shortlisted for this camp have been closely tracked over the past year or so in their performances in both national and international events.

The Indian Women’s Rugby Sevens team has been consistently performing at the Asian stage for the past few years with triumphs recently at the Asia Rugby 7s Trophy, the Asia Rugby U20 Championship, and the Asia Rugby U18 Championship, where the team won 3 silver medals on the trot.

Notable names that are a part of the camp include Kalyani Patil, Lachmi Oraon, Sheetal Sharma, Shweta Shahi, Jyothi Yellamma, Mama Naik, and Chelsea Goswami, who may form a part of the traveling squad of 14 athletes to travel to Hangzhou for the Asian Games.