Rugby India unveils Women's Sevens squad for Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Games
Synopsis
Rugby India announced the 13-member Women’s Sevens team for the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. India, placed in Pool B with China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia, will see six returning players from the 2022 squad, led by captain Shikha Yadav.
Rugby India has announced the Senior Women’s Rugby Sevens Team that will represent India at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, with the competition scheduled to take place from October 1-3 in Nagoya, Japan. The 13-member squad will compete in the Women’s Rugby Sevens competition at the Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium, with India drawn in Pool B alongside defending champions China, Hong Kong, China and Malaysia.
India's Return to Asian Games
The Asian Games marks another important chapter in the journey of India’s Women’s Rugby Sevens programme. India made its Asian Games debut in Women’s Rugby Sevens at Guangzhou 2010 before missing the 2014 and 2018 editions. The team returned at Hangzhou 2022, where they finished seventh.
Six players from the Hangzhou 2022 squad are part of India’s current Asian Games group, providing continuity as the team returns to the continental multi-sport stage. Shikha Yadav, Sandhya Rai, Mama Naik and Dumuni Marndi are among the returning players, alongside Kalyani Patil and Vashnavi Patil.
Seasoned Preparation and Competition
The team enters the Asian Games following a year of regular international competition, including its second consecutive season in the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series. India finished sixth in Round 1 of the 2026 Series in Suzhou, matching its result from the previous year. The team has also been preparing for the Asian Games through a national camp at the Sports Authority of India’s Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre in Kolkata. The camp has provided the squad with an extended period together to work on team combinations, tactical systems, conditioning and match preparation ahead of the competition in Japan.
Leadership Voices
Head Coach Paul Delport said, “The Asian Games is an important opportunity for this group and one that we have been building towards over the course of the season. We know the level of competition we will face, and our focus has been on preparing the players to be consistent in our execution, stay composed under pressure and trust the work we have put in. The group has worked hard, and we are looking forward to competing in Japan.”
Rugby India President Rahul Bose added, “The Asian Games is one of the most important platforms for our athletes to represent India, and it is particularly significant for our Women’s Rugby Sevens programme as we return to the Games for the second time in succession. The continuity from Hangzhou 2022 is encouraging, while the progress the team has made through regular international competition has been important to their development. We are proud of this group and look forward to seeing them represent India in Nagoya.”
Indian Women’s Rugby Sevens Squad:
Shikha Yadav (C), Dumuni Marndi (VC), Amandeep Kaur, Arti Kumari, Bhumika Shukla, Vaishnavi Patil, Guriya Kumari, Kalyani Patil, Mama Naik, Nirmalya Rout, Sandhya Rai, Sandhyarani Tudu, Ujjwala Ghuge. (ANI)