Raksha Khadse Felicitates Indian U-20 Women’s Rugby Heroes, Unveils ASMITA’s New Social Media Platforms

On November 18, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse honoured members of the Indian women’s rugby team after their historic bronze medal win at the Asian U-20 Championship. The felicitation event took place alongside the launch of the official ASMITA women’s leagues social media handles, marking a new push to bring more visibility to women athletes.

Khadse congratulated six team members:

• Dumuni Marndi
• Bhumika Shukla
• Ujjwala Ghughe
• Guriya Kumari
• Sandhya Rai
• Amandeep Kaur

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ASMITA Leagues: The Backbone of the Winning Squad

A major part of the Indian squad that won bronze earlier this year in Rajgir, Bihar, grew directly from the ASMITA league system. The programme, launched in 2021, was created to give women athletes structured opportunities, frequent competitions and a clear performance pathway.

ASMITA stands for ‘Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action’. It is a core part of Khelo India’s gender-neutral mission to expand sporting opportunities for women across the country.

Government Push for Women in Sports

During the event, Khadse said the government is committed to giving young women the attention and opportunities they deserve. She highlighted how social media will help ASMITA connect with more girls, especially those who want to play sports but lack information or support.

Her key remarks included:

• The government wants to bring young women into the spotlight.
• Social media can increase awareness and help more girls join sports.
• The ministry has a proper structure to groom talent from the grassroots.
• India must look at every sport, ensuring women can build full-time careers in athletics.

Khadse also said this was the right moment for ASMITA to have a unique identity, which led to the launch of the league’s official social media handles.

ASMITA’s Growing Footprint Across India

Since its launch in 2021, ASMITA has achieved major milestones. The programme’s numbers show how big the impact has been:

• 1886 ASMITA leagues conducted so far
• 2.14 lakh women have played in ASMITA competitions across India
• Leagues held in 32 different sports
• Conducted across 500+ districts and 600+ cities
• Events reached remote villages in Arunachal Pradesh, tribal belts, and border regions

This wide reach has helped discover athletes from areas that rarely get access to organised sports, proving that ASMITA is not just a league system, it is a movement.

A New Digital Identity for ASMITA

The launch of ASMITA’s social media handles marks the next chapter for the programme. The aim is to create a stronger online community, share athlete stories, promote upcoming leagues and attract young girls who want to participate in sports but need direction.

Through these platforms, ASMITA hopes to build larger awareness, celebrate women athletes and inspire more participation from every corner of India.