Kolkat: The Indian senior women’s rugby sevens team has entered a crucial phase of its preparations for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with the national coaching camp underway at the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre in Kolkata.
The Salt Lake-based SAI facility has served as the operational home of the Indian rugby team ahead of major international competitions and is once again hosting the national squad as it prepares for the continental showpiece.
The Indian women’s team will compete in the women’s rugby sevens tournament at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya from October 1 to 3. India has been placed in Pool B alongside defending champions China, Hong Kong China and Malaysia.
Coach Terence Joseph Confident Ahead of Asian Games
Addressing the media at SAI Kolkata on Wednesday, head coach Terence Joseph said the team is concentrating on consistency, execution and attention to detail ahead of the tournament.
“The Asian Games is a big tournament for us. We are looking at details and consistency from the team. A lot depends on how we execute our plans in Japan,” Joseph said.
He also highlighted the importance of SAI Kolkata in the team’s preparation, adding, “SAI Kolkata has been the home for the Indian rugby team. We have been conducting camps here for the past three years.”
The press conference was attended by Shri Sibananda Mishra, Regional Director, SAI Kolkata; coach Terence Joseph; Indian women’s team captain Shikha Yadav; vice-captain Dumini Marandi; and strength and conditioning coach Kiani Fourie.
Team Eyes Consistency After Asia Rugby Sevens Success
Captain Shikha Yadav said the team is looking to carry forward the confidence gained from its recent performances in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series.
“We want to carry the form and consistency from our recent impressive performances at the Asia Rugby Sevens Series into the Asian Games. Rather than putting ourselves under added pressure, we want to remain grounded, follow the pattern and stick to the basics,” Shikha said.
Six players from India’s previous Asian Games squad — Shikha Yadav, Dumini Marandi, Kalyani Patil, Vaishnavi Patil, Mama Nayak and Sandhya Rai — are part of the squad preparing for Aichi-Nagoya.
The SAI Kolkata facility was also used by the Indian women’s rugby team ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022, where India finished seventh.
20 Players Attend National Camp
The ongoing camp, scheduled to continue until September 24, is focused on finalising the travelling core group and sharpening the tactical and physical aspects required to compete against some of Asia’s strongest rugby teams.
A total of 20 players are currently undergoing training at the national coaching camp, which has been sanctioned by the Sports Authority of India at a cost of ₹19.8 lakh.
The Government of India has approved a contingent of 492 Indian athletes across 35 disciplines for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with women’s rugby accounting for 13 athletes.
The team is also benefiting from increased international exposure and a more structured high-performance training environment.
SAI Kolkata Reaffirms Support to Indian Rugby
Shri Sibananda Mishra, Regional Director, SAI Kolkata, said the centre has provided the Indian rugby teams with the necessary infrastructure and support.
“SAI Kolkata has provided all the required facilities, sports science and ancillary support to the Indian rugby team. I assure you that in the future, we will continue to remain a base for both the men’s and women’s squads,” Mishra said.
He added that SAI Kolkata shares a strong working relationship with the rugby federation.
“We have an extremely cordial relationship with the rugby federation. We have been working jointly to ensure that high-quality training support is provided for both the men’s and women’s teams,” he said.
Focus on Strength, Conditioning and Tactical Development
South African strength and conditioning coach Kiano Fourie highlighted the physical and technical progress made by the Indian women’s team over the years.
“Over the years, since I first came to India, we have had the objective of improving the team and individual players physically and technically for the bigger games they will now play. We see that development,” Fourie said.
He added that the players have shown greater consistency in training and developed stronger physical and professional habits.
“With these improvements, I am confident they will meet the demands of the Asian Games,” he said.
The Kolkata camp is being conducted under South African head coach Paul Delport and is designed as an integrated high-performance programme covering team combinations, tactical systems, conditioning, recovery, strength and conditioning, match analysis and game preparation.
Women’s Rugby Sevens Continues Its Asian Games Journey
India’s participation in the Asian Games is part of a longer journey for women’s rugby sevens. The discipline made its Asian Games debut at Guangzhou in 2010, when India fielded its first official national women’s sevens team.
After missing the 2014 and 2018 editions, the Indian women’s team returned to the Asian Games at Hangzhou in 2022, finishing seventh.
With the Aichi-Nagoya Games approaching, the extended Kolkata camp represents another important step in the team’s development as India looks to challenge the established powers of Asian rugby.
