Odisha also asserted overall supremacy in the National Rugby Sevens Championship this year by winning medals in all four categories. Odisha junior girls started medal-capturing spree with a silver on June 20. They were followed by their junior boys and senior men teams, who grabbed gold and bronze medals respectively.

Speaking on the title triumph, Odisha coach Manas Kumar Jena and captain Hupi Majhi thanked the players for their confidence and the State Government for its support. “Our women’s team was high on confidence after winning gold medals at National Championship and the National Games last year. They were confident to beat any team and that made the difference,” said coach Jena.

“The support of the State Sports & Youth Services Department played an important role in our victory. Earlier we used to struggle to compete in the National championships. We travelled by train and faced lots of difficulties. But this time the Sports Department provided top class facilities, including training, rehab, diet and air tickets,’’ added captain Majhi.

Odisha Rugby Football Association Secretary Upendra Kumar Mohanty congratulated State Women Team for their gold-winning performance and thanked the Odisha Government for its wholehearted support.

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.

ODISHA RESULTS:

Match 1 (Group-A League): Odisha (Tarulata Naik 25, Hupi Majhi 10, Dumuni Marndi 5, Puspanjali Bhoi 5, Nirmalya Rout 5, Malini Soy 5) beat Haryana 55-0.
Match 2 (Group-A League): Odisha (Tarulata Naik 15, Hupi Majhi 15, Sandhyarani Tudu 14, Dumuni Marndi 12, Nirmalya Rout 10) beat Jharkhand 66-0.
Match 3 (Pre-Quarterfinal): Odisha (Sunita Hansdah 17, Sandhyarani Tudu 14, Tarulata Naik 14, Arati Murmu 7, Dumuni Marandi 5) beat Rajasthan 57-0.
Match 4 (Quarterfinal): Odisha (Sunita Hansdah 20, Hupi Majhi 10, Sunita Hansdah 2, Tarulata Naik 2, Dumuni Marandi 2) beat Karnataka 36-0.
Match 5 (Semifinals): Odisha (Hupi Majhi 5, Dumuni Marandi 5, Kabita Kasturi Padhihari 5, Tarulata Naik 4) beat Maharashtra (?) 19-5.
Match 6 (Final): Odisha (Nirmalya Rout 10, Hupi Majhi 5, Tarulata Naik 2) beat Bihar (?) 17-5.
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PHOTOS: Odisha Senior Women Team lifts the champions trophy at the Senior National Rugby Sevens Championship in Pune on 4 July 2024.