Khelo India: Bihar girls hope to carve a future after golden show in rugby

The seventh edition of  Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2025, underway in Patna, threw up a big surprise for hosts Bihar on Friday. Rugby made it’s debut in the event and the Bihar girls team scripted history when they overpowered a fancied Odisha to bag the gold – while the boys’ team made it a ‘double’ later in the evening.

 It was in the narrow lanes of Supaul, Patna and Nalanda where a bunch of teenage girls learnt the ropes of a rather physical game in the ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) Women’s League - a Khelo India initiative. The gritty trio of Anshu Kumari, Saloni Kumari and Alpana Kumari, products of the league, hogged the limelight by playing a key role in powering their state to victory.

 Ten out of the 12 players in Bihar’s gold-winning squad are products of the grassroots movement ASMITA that has redefined the scope of women’s sport in Bihar over the past three years. For many of these girls, playing sport was a social taboo while rugby was an unfamiliar terrain — but now, it will be their identity.

“None of us had even heard of rugby just a few years ago. We had been in some other sports and various circumstances led us to rugby. And then the introduction of the ASMITA League brought the sport to our districts, our schools, our lives,” the trio told the Khelo India media moments after the win.

 Anshu, a Class 12 student whose father runs a modest sweet shop, burst onto the scene by winning a bronze at the U-14 nationals in Pune. Saloni, daughter of a street vendor, now proudly recalls captaining India’s U-18 side at the Asian Rugby Championship in Malaysia. Alpana — who overcame multiple injuries, including a fractured collarbone and a serious road accident — stood tall to beat the odds.

“This gold is not just ours, it’s for every girl who dares to dream beyond boundaries. It’s for every parent who supported us, and every coach who believed in us,” they added, their eyes sparkling with pride.

 Looking ahead, the likes of Anshu, Saloni and Alpana candidly admitted that a Khelo India medal can open them possible pathways to national camps, job opportunities and long-term recognition. “We’ve seen seniors get government jobs after winning medals. That’s the dream. We are hopeful that this gold will take us closer to that goal,” said the girls as they joined the celebrations for the boys’ rugby team.

 It was a historic day for Bihar rugby amid cheers, tears and high-fives and the message was loud and clear — this is just the beginning.