India finishes fifth in Asia Rugby U-20 Championship

Published at :August 21, 2023 at 6:04 PM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 6:07 PM

(Courtesy : Rugby India Twitter)

India’s only defeat came against Malaysia.

Rugby has been always in the back seat of India’s sporting achievements with very little to talk about. India played their maiden international match against Singapore in 1998. The team was defeated by a huge margin of 0-85. The biggest win India ever registered was against Pakistan in 2008 with a score of 92-0. The Indian U-20 Rugby team showcased some high-class performances in the recently concluded Asia Rugby U-20 Championship that was held in Kathmandu, Nepal from August 19-20.

India failed to qualify for the Rugby world cup despite coming close to the qualification multiple times. The South Asian country is ranked 86th in the men’s Rugby ranking and 45th in the women’s Rugby ranking.

Let’s look at how the Indian U20 Rugby team performed in the Asian Tournament.

India’s Pool at Asia Rugby U-20 Championship

Asian Rugby U-20 Championship for men and women were held in the capital the of South Asian Country Nepal. The men’s competition witnessed some fierce action from the seven participating teams with eye on the title. India had been grouped in Pool B with Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Nepal.

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India’s squad for Asia Rugby U-20 Championship

The Indian Rugby Football Union, which is the governing body for rugby sport in India, announced the squad for the Asia Rugby U-20 Championship on August 16.

India Squad:

Raj Kumar, Vijay Annabatthini, Tejas Patil, Ganesh Majhi(captain), Arjun Mahato, Harsh Raj, Vidyanand Kumar, Mangal Soren, Monu, Ashok Hasdah, Asis Sabar, and Anuj Gaur.

Head coach: Juandre Naude

Assistant Coach: Vikas Khatri

Physiotherapist: Abdul Wahid khan

General Manager for High-Performance: Sourojit Ghosh

India’s Results at Asia Rugby U-20 Championship: (All timings are in IST)

Date	Time	Groups	Match	Result
August 19	10:15 AM	Pool B Round 1	India vs Nepal	28-0
August 19	12:45 PM	Pool B Round 2	India vs Hong Kong	22-21
August 19	04:15 PM	Pool B Round 3	India vs Malaysia	7-27
August 20	02:35 PM	5th/6th Place	India vs Uzbekistan	47-0

India secured a big win against the hosts Nepal in their first group match. The Indian boys also showcased a powerful performance against the Asian Rugby giants Hong Kong by a close margin of 22-21. After two consecutive power-packed performances, the Indian U-20 Rugby team lost to Malaysia which shattered their semi-final dreams.

After exiting before the semis India was grouped with Uzbekistan for a 5th-place fight. India dominated over Uzbekistan to secure the fifth position with a massive score of 47-0.

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