Tribal girl from Maoist-hit Bijapur throws herself into history, leads Chhattisgarh to bronze at junior softball nationals

A tribal girl from Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Bijapur district has brought pride to her state by helping her team win a bronze medal at the 43rd Junior National Softball Championship. The event took place in Chandigarh from 29 May to 2 June.

Anuradha Kolasi, who played as a pitcher, stood out with her strong performance throughout the tournament. Thanks to her efforts and those of several other players from remote tribal areas like Bijapur and Jashpur, Chhattisgarh finished third in the competition.

The team began well by defeating Himachal Pradesh 4–0 and Odisha 2–1, which helped them qualify for the Super League stage. There, they narrowly beat Rajasthan 1–0, lost 0–1 to Telangana, but bounced back by defeating Chandigarh 4–1. They topped their group based on run average and earned a place in the semi-final.

In the semi-final match against Haryana, Chhattisgarh took the lead early on but could not hold it, eventually losing 5–7. This result meant they secured the bronze medal.

The team included players from various parts of Chhattisgarh:

• From Bijapur: Anuradha Kolasi, Pooja Korsa, Lakshmi Baghel, Asmita Marpalli, Rinki Hemla
• From Bemetara: Bholi Sahu, Reshma Sahu, Pallavi Sahu, Sushmita Jogi
• From Raipur: Poonam Koparkar, Sneha Dhimer
• From Durg: Shivani Yadav
• From Pamgarh: Chandrakanta Bareth
• From Jashpur: Shweta Xalxo
• From Kabirdham: Chandni Sahu

This performance by the Chhattisgarh girls, especially those from tribal regions, is being praised as a sign of growing talent and determination in areas often affected by conflict and lack of opportunities.

Inputs from TOI