Nadiad, July 1: Three players from Gujarat have been selected for the Indian team for the 16th AVC Asian Women’s Under-18 Volleyball Championship. Among them, 16-year-old Rajal Vala has been appointed as the captain of the national team for this continental tournament taking place in Thailand.
The competition, scheduled from July 1 to 7 in Nakhon Ratchasima, will feature 16 teams vying for the Asian title. Rajal will lead India against some of the strongest youth volleyball teams in Asia, while fellow Gujarat players Arpita Vadher and Forum Kagathara have also secured spots on the team. All three athletes train at the High-Performance Center in Nadiad, operated by the Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG).
Rajal, hailing from Sarkhadi village in the Kodinar taluka of Gir Somnath district, has been entrusted with the captaincy of the Indian Under-18 women’s team. Seventeen-year-old Arpita Vadher is from Vawdi village in the Sutrapada taluka of Gir Somnath district, while 17-year-old Forum Kagathara is from Amreli district.
Before the final team announcement, the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) selected 24 promising players from across the country for a national coaching camp, from which the final team was formed for the championship.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghvi congratulated Rajal Vala, Arpita Vadher, and Forum Kagathara on their selection for the Indian team and wished the team success in the championship. The inclusion of these three players from Gujarat, including the captain, highlights the state’s growing presence in national-level age-group volleyball.
Organized by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), this biennial championship will also serve as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIVB Girls’ Under-19 Volleyball World Championship.
The top four teams from this competition will qualify for the global event. India aims to secure a place in the top four and qualify for the 2027 FIVB Girls’ Under-19 Volleyball World Championship.
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