Tashkent, May 17: The Indian senior men’s rugby team clinched the silver medal at the CASA (Central Asia and South Asia) Rugby Sevens, while the senior women’s team finished in fourth place.
Held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the men’s team made an impressive run, winning four consecutive matches to reach the finals. They began their campaign with victories against the host nation Uzbekistan (24-12), Kyrgyzstan (31-0), Mongolia (26-14), and Pakistan (20-14).
The team remained unbeaten until their final round-robin match against Sri Lanka, where they lost 12-33. In the championship match, India faced Sri Lanka again, ultimately losing 10-31 and securing the silver medal.
On the women’s side, the senior team faced a challenging start, losing to Uzbekistan (7-22) and Kazakhstan (7-19) on the first day. However, they showcased remarkable resilience throughout the tournament. The Indian women bounced back with a stunning 72-0 victory over Kyrgyzstan. They maintained their momentum with a 33-0 win against Mongolia the following day.
The Indian women’s team handed the tournament champions, Sri Lanka, their only defeat. In an exhilarating match, India triumphed 22-19 thanks to a last-minute try by Mahak. However, they fell short in the playoff for third place, losing 14-20 to the host nation Uzbekistan, finishing fourth overall.
Mahak was named the CASA Sevens Women’s Player of the Tournament, scoring nine tries throughout the competition. For the men’s team, David Munda and Sumit Kumar Roy each scored four tries, while Devender Padir and Hitesh Dagar contributed three tries each. Captain Parvati Hansda also played a crucial role for the women’s team, contributing 12 conversions.
The CASA Rugby Sevens marked the inaugural edition of this new international rugby sevens competition for Central and South Asian countries, featuring round-robin and classification formats for both men’s and women’s categories.
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