Maharashtra Clinches Victory in the 5th Edition of Wheelchair Rugby Nationals 2023
Pune, Maharashtra: In a thrilling match, Maharashtra emerged victorious in the 5th Edition of the National Wheelchair Rugby Championship 2023, organized by The Indian Rugby Football Union (Rugby India) in collaboration with the Wheelchair Rugby Federation of India and Mitsubishi Corporation. The championship concluded at the Indoor Hall, Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune, Maharashtra.
In the semifinals, Karnataka narrowly edged out Haryana with a score of 9-7, while Maharashtra secured a convincing 22-13 victory over Bihar. The final showdown saw Maharashtra dominating Karnataka with a score of 31-10, ultimately clinching the championship title.
The winning Maharashtra team received the coveted trophy, and the prizes were presented by Mr. Ankush Arora, COO of Rugby India, and Dr. Shivaji Kumar, President of the Wheelchair Rugby Federation of India.
Rahul Bose, President of Rugby India, a renowned film actor, and director, expressed his admiration for the growth of wheelchair rugby in India. He commended the significant progress made in the sport over the past eight years, highlighting the increasing number of states participating in the national championship, which has grown from ten players to encompassing 14 states.
Bose emphasized that Rugby India and its Federation take no credit for this remarkable journey but are committed to supporting and nurturing the sport. He extended an open invitation to anyone who wishes to be part of the rugby community, whether it’s touch rugby, 7s or 15s rugby, or wheelchair rugby.
The championship’s success was attributed to the dedication of the organizers, sponsors, technical staff, and organizational teams. Rahul Bose expressed gratitude to all partners for their unwavering support and revealed plans to expand wheelchair rugby to cover the entire country, transforming the sport’s landscape.
Semifinal Results:
- Karnataka: 9 (Manjunatha LH 3, Shrikant Desai 5, Mahantesh Hongal 1) vs. Haryana: 7 (Raja S 3, Sandeep 3, Ramesh Kumar 1)
- Maharashtra: 22 (Agnel Francis Naidu 11, Somnath Jadhav 8, Surendra Kasure 3) vs. Bihar: 13 (Deepak Sharma 3, Shailesh Kumar 3, Dheeraj Kumar 3, Rajeev Kumar 4)
Final Match Result:
- Maharashtra: 31 (Somnath Jadhav 11, Surendra Kasure 7, Agnel Francis Naidu 9, Anthony John 4) vs. Karnataka: 10 (Manjunatha LH 4, Nadish BN 2, Mahantesh Hongal 1, Shrikant Desai 3)
3rd and 4th Place:
- Bihar: 13 (Deepak Sharma 3, Deepak Kumar Singh 3, Shailesh Kumar 3, Rajeev 4) vs. Haryana: 5 (Raja S. 5)
