Pune (Voice News Service): The Indian Rugby Football Union (Rugby India), the sole governing body for the sport of Rugby in India, in association with the Wheelchair Rugby Federation of India and Mitsubishi Corporation is hosting the 5th Edition of National Wheelchair Rugby Championship 2023, and the International Wheelchair Rugby Workshop at the Indoor Hall, Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex at Balewadi in Pune, Maharashtra from 9th to 11th September 2023.
The National Wheelchair Rugby Championship 2023 marks a major milestone for Wheelchair rugby in India. With 15 states set to participate, the event is poised to be the largest national Wheelchair event hosted by Rugby India. The states participating include Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and host, Maharashtra.
Rugby India is also pleased to announce the Japan-India Scrum Project for Wheelchair Rugby Development in India. As a part of this initiative that is proudly supported by the Mitsubishi Corporation, the Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation shall host a day-long wheelchair rugby workshop on Saturday, 9th September 2023. Experts from Japan such as Takeshi Shoji, Takayuki Norimatsu, Noriko Nikaido, and Yuki Izuchi shall work closely with participants from the 15 states as a part of the workshop and coaching clinic. Mr. Hajime Kito, Chief Regional Officer of Mitsubishi Corporation India, shall be attending the workshop.
Gerald Prabhu, Hon. Secretary, Rugby India said – “As the sole governing body for Rugby in India, Wheelchair Rugby is a critical part of IRFU. We remain committed to encourage and assist the efforts of Wheelchair Rugby in India. We are immensely grateful to the Mitsubishi corporation, Rugby Association of Maharashtra, and DSYS, Govt. of Maharashtra, for their continued support in hosting these prestigious workshops and events. We except to witness some exciting rugby in the days ahead and I would like to extend my best wishes to all participating teams.”
Nikhil Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Wheelchair Rugby Federation of India said, “We are thankful to Rugby India and the Paralympic Committee of India for their support towards the Wheelchair Rugby Nationals. These efforts, since the past five years, have been instrumental in providing a platform for our participants to be involved in the sport they love and showcase their skills and abilities, even against the odds. I wish all involved the very best for the tournament.”
Enclosed below is a schedule for the International Wheelchair Rugby Workshop, followed by the Wheelchair Rugby Nationals
Saturday 9th Sept. 2023 10 am to 5 pm International Wheelchair Rugby workshop with Japan Wheelchair Rugby Federation
Sunday 10th Sept. 2023 9 am to 8 pm
National Wheelchair Rugby Championship – Day 1
1.30 to 2.30 pm Rahul Bose, President, Rugby India will be addressing the participant athletes
Monday 11th Sept. 2023 9 to 5.30 pm National Wheelchair Rugby Championship –
Day 2 6 to 6.30 pm Medal Ceremony ( prize distribution ceremony)
