A local NGO has volunteered to meet the travel expenses of Sarada Devi, the captain of Tamil Nadu’s touch rugby women’s team, who is leading her team to participate in the South Asian Touch Rugby Championship, that will be held in Pakistan from November 1 to 12, this year.
An MBA student, Sarada was helpless when she was asked to pay Rs 15,000 towards her travel and other expenses, to participate in the event. Since the game is not recognised by the Indian government, the Touch Rugby Association was not able to mobilise funds for the players, who were asked to bear the expenses themselves.
Sarada, who had completed her BCA from Marduhar Kesari Jain College for Women, was continuing her MBA through distance education from Madras University. “I started evincing interest in the game three years ago when I joined the college,” she recalled, adding that she had become the captain of the Tamil Nadu team subsequently. Three of her college mates -- Ramya, Sudha and Madhuvarsha -- would also be travelling to Lahore along with her. A total of 14 girls and 14 boys will represent India in the event. Four of the girls are from Tamil Nadu.
“My participation in the Pakistan event was uncertain as my family was not in a position to foot the bill for my trip,” Sarada said. She hails from a Gorkha community from Nepal and her father works in a tannery in Ambur. Unexpected help came to her when Udavum Ullangal offered to help her. The money was handed over to her by president of the NGO, R Chandrasekaran, on Friday.
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