Dec 4-13: Four Kanyashree girls in India’s U-15 volleyball squad

Kolkata: Four Kanyashree beneficiaries from Bengal have been selected to represent India in the 14-member national school volleyball team for the Under-15 Girls’ World School Volleyball Championship, to be held in Shangluo, China, from December 4 to 13.

The event is being organised by the International School Sports Federation (ISF).

The selected players are Abhisikta Pal of North 24-Parganas, Saranya Ghosh of South 24-Parganas, and Rupkatha Ghosh and Soheli Samanta from Hooghly district.

Six players from Bengal had made it to the preliminary selection list for the world-level tournament. Along with the four who finally made the team, Adrika Das of North 24 Parganas and Puja Rajbangshi of Hooghly were also part of the initial squad.

The national U-15 girls’ volleyball team underwent a residential training camp in Ranchi, Jharkhand, from October 24 to December 2. The final 14-member squad was chosen on November 19 from an initial group of 24 trainees. Bengal has registered notable gains in school sports this year, rising to seventh place in the National School Games. From volleyball and table tennis to weightlifting and yogasana, young athletes from the state have been performing strongly across disciplines.

Families of the selected girls expressed pride at their achievements and said they hoped the players would shine on the world stage. They also stressed the need to maintain a balance between sports and academics, noting that the girls often train for five to seven hours a day, especially during national camps, leaving them with limited time for studies.

For athletes such as Rupkatha, Soheli, Titli and Rima Majhi, parents said a well-structured school sports policy is essential to help promising talents continue their education smoothly while pursuing sporting excellence.