Nadiad, June 30 (IANS) Three volleyball players from Gujarat have been selected in India’s squad for the 16th AVC Asian Women’s Under-18 Volleyball Championship, with 16-year-old Rajal Vala being appointed captain of the national team for the continental tournament in Thailand.

The championship will be held in Nakhon Ratchasima from July 1 to 7 and will feature 16 teams competing for the Asian title.

Rajal will lead India against some of Asia’s strongest youth volleyball sides, while fellow Gujarat players Arpita Vadher and Forum Kagathara have also earned places in the squad.

All three players train at the High Performance Centre in Nadiad, which is run by the Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG).

Rajal, who is from Sarkhadi village in Kodinar taluka of Gir Somnath district, has been entrusted with the captaincy of the Indian Under-18 women’s team.

Arpita Vadher, 17, hails from Vavdi village in Sutrapada taluka of Gir Somnath district, while 17-year-old Forum Kagathara is from Amreli district.

Before the final squad was announced, the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) had selected 24 promising players from across the country for a national coaching camp, from which the championship squad was finalised.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated Rajal Vala, Arpita Vadher and Forum Kagathara on their selection to the Indian team and extended his best wishes to the squad for a successful campaign at the championship.

The inclusion of three Gujarat players, including the team captain, underlines the state’s growing presence in age-group volleyball at the national level.

Organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), the biennial championship will also serve as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIVB Girls’ Under-19 Volleyball World Championship.

The top four teams in the competition will secure qualification for the global event. India will enter the tournament aiming to finish among the top four and book a place at the 2027 FIVB Girls’ Under-19 Volleyball World Championship.

–IANS

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