India U20 Women Retain Bronze at Asia Rugby Sevens Championship in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: India’s U20 women’s rugby team secured the bronze medal for the second consecutive year at the Asia Rugby Emirates U20 Sevens Championship 2026, defeating Sri Lanka 27-0 in the bronze medal match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

The Indian team, coached by Kiano Fourie, bounced back from a narrow 12-14 defeat against Malaysia in the semi-final to register a convincing victory over Sri Lanka and secure a podium finish.

In the semi-final, Samruddhi Kadam and Khushi Devi scored a try each, while Mamali Singh added a conversion as India gave Malaysia a tough contest before narrowly missing out on a place in the final.

India dominated the bronze medal match against Sri Lanka, with Samruddhi Kadam scoring two tries. Aditi Londhe, Akshaya NS and Anita Murmu also crossed the try line once each, while Dipali Tathe contributed an early conversion to help India seal the 27-0 victory.

With this win, India retained its third-place finish, having also won bronze at the previous edition of the championship in Rajgir, Bihar.

Meanwhile, India’s U20 men’s team finished seventh overall after winning their final classification match against Thailand 24-7.

India began the second day with a 5-12 defeat against Chinese Taipei in its final group-stage fixture, with Rahul Majhi scoring the team’s only try. The team subsequently lost 5-29 to Singapore in the classification match, with Majhi again finding the scoresheet.

However, India finished its campaign on a positive note with a 24-7 victory over Thailand in the seventh/eighth-place playoff. Ajit Nag scored two tries, while Pushpender and Naman Yadav added one try each. Bharat Kisan and Rahul Majhi contributed a conversion apiece to seal the win.

In the overall standings, Hong Kong China emerged champions in both the men’s and women’s categories, completing a double-title finish. Malaysia secured silver medals in both competitions, while Chinese Taipei claimed bronze in the men’s category. India finished third in the women’s competition.

India’s consecutive bronze medal finishes in the women’s category mark a consistent performance at the continental level and provide encouragement for the country’s emerging rugby talent.