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The 10th Sub-Junior National Rugby Sevens Championship concluded at the Kalinga Stadium on Saturday with a thrilling final day of knockout action, showcasing India's top Under-15 girls' rugby talent.
Bihar edged past this edition's defending champions, Maharashtra, while host state Odisha claimed a convincing third-place victory in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, according to a release. On day two of the competition, the knockout stages saw teams vie for ranking and top-ranked teams battle for a place in the semifinals. In the Quarterfinals, Bihar continued their dominant run with a 43-7 victory over Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (DNHDD), while Odisha overpowered Karnataka 55-0. Chandigarh fought valiantly but went down 7-17 to Rajasthan, and Maharashtra edged West Bengal 24-5, setting up a highly anticipated semifinal lineup. In the semifinals, Bihar maintained its momentum with a commanding 35-0 win over Rajasthan, while Maharashtra came from behind to defeat host state Odisha 17-14 in a nail-biting encounter that had the home crowd on the edge of their seats. The Bronze Medal Playoff saw Odisha bounce back strongly, dominating Rajasthan 47-5 to claim third place on home turf, showcasing the depth of their squad and disciplined play. The final was a rematch of last year's title showdown. Bihar and Maharashtra faced off once again, with Bihar emerging victorious this time, pulling off a commanding 34-7 win, avenging their previous year's defeat and claiming their fifth title win in the last six years in this category. Over the course of the tournament, the 24 participating teams produced approximately 1,800 points with as many as 112 individual scorers, highlighting the growing talent pool at the U15 level. Senior players from respective states also supported their teams as coaches and managers, guiding the young athletes and ensuring a professional, competitive environment. Another encouraging story of this tournament was the performances of DNHDD and Chandigarh, who finished in the top eight for the first time. DNHDD defeated Karnataka 14-5 to finish fifth, while Chandigarh finished eighth. Sumi Gagarai of Odisha finished as the top scorer of the competition with 104 points, with Komal Kumari and Roshani Kumari of Bihar following suit with 66 and 56 points respectively. With the Girls' U15 tournament concluded, attention now turns to the upcoming Boys U15 Championship, scheduled to be held on 20th and 21st January 2026, promising another two days of exciting youth rugby action. (ANI)
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