Experienced campaigner Hupi Majhi will lead defending champions Odisha in the 11th Senior Women National Rugby Sevens Championship, which is all set to be held at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Pune (Maharashtra) on 3 and 4 July 2024. The 12-member Odisha team features around seven internationals.

Accompanied by coach Manas Kumar Jena, Odisha team landed in Pune today with the confidence to continue their supremacy in the Women National Sevens Championship. “Last year Odisha women team won the gold medal both at the National Sevens in Pune and the National Games in Goa. We are optimistic to clinch a hat-trick of National gold medals in Pune,’’ said the coach Jena.

Odisha is also hopeful of winning medals in all four categories of the National Rugby Sevens Championship this year. Odisha started the campaign with a silver medal in the junior girls championship and followed their successful by run by winning gold and bronze in the junior boys and senior men competitions respectively.

ODISHA WOMEN TEAM: Nirmalya Rout, Soni Mandangi, Arati Murmu, Dumuni Marandi, Tarulata Naik, Hipi Majhi (Captain), Sandhyarani Tudu, Sunita Hansdah, Kabita Kasturi Padhihari, Malini Soy, Puspanjali Bhoi, Tilottama Sahoo. Coach: Manas Kumar Jena, Manager: Sanjukta Munda, Physio: Soumasri Mishra.
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PHOTO: Odisha Senior Women Team for the National Rugby Sevens Championship poses at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on 1 July 2024.