The U20 Asian Rugby Sevens Championship kicked off in Rajgir, Bihar, on Saturday, marking the beginning of a two-day sporting event. This is the first time an international rugby match is being held in the state. Excitement filled the first day of the championship. India’s Under-20 women’s team made a remarkable comeback in the Asia Rugby Emirates Rugby 7s Under-20 Championship, securing a spot in the semi-finals. Simultaneously, the men’s team achieved a historic victory, defeating the UAE at this level for the first time.
Under the guidance of coach Kiano Fory and captain Bhumika Shukla, the women’s team started strongly, defeating Kazakhstan 17-10 in a tough match. Guria Kumari, Anshu Kumari, and Alpana Kumari from Bihar each scored a try, giving the home team an excellent start.
The team’s performance improved in the afternoon as they defeated the UAE 31-7. Captain Bhumika scored two tries, vice-captain Tanushree Bhosale scored one, and Muskan Piploda and Anshu also scored. With this victory, the team secured their semi-final berth before their final pool match against Hong Kong China.
In the men’s category, coach Paco Hernandez’s team made history by defeating the UAE 24-17. This was India’s first victory over the UAE at the Under-20 level and the first time they scored against them in five matches across the Under-18 and Under-20 categories. Charan Hembram opened the scoring with a try and conversion, while Golden Kumar and David Munda also scored tries. David’s second try sealed the victory for India, despite a strong comeback from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However, the men’s team couldn’t maintain this momentum in the subsequent Pool A matches, losing by a similar margin of 52-4 to Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China. Sri Lanka and Hong Kong China topped Pool A, while China and Malaysia secured the top spots in Pool B. Now, India’s Under-20 women’s team will play in the semi-finals, while the men’s team will conclude their campaign against Kazakhstan for the fifth position in front of the home crowd. All matches can be watched LIVE on FanCode and the Asia Rugby YouTube Channel.
