Gujarat's Rajal Vala, 16, named India U-18 women's volleyball captain for AVC Championship
Synopsis
A 16-year-old from a small village in Gir Somnath district is set to captain India at a continental volleyball championship — and her selection, alongside two teammates from the same SAG centre in Nadiad, signals that Gujarat's investment in grassroots volleyball infrastructure is producing national-level results at pace.
Key Takeaways
Rajal Vala , 16 , from Sarkhadi village, Gir Somnath , has been named captain of the India U-18 women's volleyball team .
Arpita Vadher and Forum Kagathara — both 17 — are the other two Gujarat players in the squad.
All three train at the High Performance Centre, Nadiad , run by the Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG) .
The 16th AVC Asian Women's U-18 Volleyball Championship runs from 1 to 7 July in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand , featuring 16 teams .
The tournament serves as the Asian qualifier for the 2027 FIVB Girls' U-19 World Championship ; the top four teams qualify.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated all three players on their selection.
Rajal Vala, a 16-year-old from Sarkhadi village in Gir Somnath district, Gujarat, has been appointed captain of the India Under-18 women's volleyball team for the 16th AVC Asian Women's Under-18 Volleyball Championship, to be held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand from 1 to 7 July. Two other Gujarat players — Arpita Vadher and Forum Kagathara — have also earned places in the national squad, bringing the state's total representation to three in a 16-team continental tournament.
The Gujarat Trio
All three players train at the High Performance Centre in Nadiad, operated by the Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG). Arpita Vadher, 17, hails from Vavdi village in Sutrapada taluka of Gir Somnath district, while Forum Kagathara, also 17, is from Amreli district. The trio's selection underlines SAG's growing role as a pipeline for elite age-group volleyball talent.
How the Squad Was Finalised
The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) initially assembled 24 promising players from across the country for a national coaching camp before trimming the group to the final championship squad. The selection process reflects a structured national identification framework rather than ad hoc picks — a model that has increasingly yielded state-level clusters of talent.
What Is at Stake in Thailand
Organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), the biennial championship also doubles as the Asian qualifying tournament for the 2027 FIVB Girls' Under-19 Volleyball World Championship. The top four teams from the 16-nation field will secure berths at the global event. India will enter the tournament with a clear target: a top-four finish that books a place on the world stage in 2027.
Political Recognition
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi congratulated Rajal Vala, Arpita Vadher, and Forum Kagathara on their selection and extended best wishes for a successful campaign. The acknowledgement from state leadership signals the political visibility that age-group sporting success now commands in Gujarat.
Gujarat's Rising Volleyball Profile
The inclusion of three players — including the captain — from a single state-run centre in Nadiad is notable. It points to a concentrated investment by SAG in volleyball infrastructure that is beginning to pay dividends at the national level. Whether India can translate this state-level depth into a strong continental showing will be closely watched when play begins on 1 July.
Point of View
Centred on the High Performance Centre, is producing captains, not just participants. The more interesting question is systemic: if one centre in one district can supply three members of a 16-player national squad, what does that say about the depth — or lack of it — in volleyball development elsewhere in the country? India's top-four target in Thailand is achievable on paper, but the team's dependence on a narrow geographic cluster of talent also reflects how unevenly the sport's grassroots ecosystem is spread across a country of 1.4 billion.
NationPress
30 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Rajal Vala and why has she been appointed India U-18 volleyball captain?
Rajal Vala is a 16-year-old volleyball player from Sarkhadi village in Gir Somnath district, Gujarat. She has been appointed captain of the India Under-18 women's volleyball team for the 16th AVC Asian Women's Under-18 Volleyball Championship in Thailand, recognising her as one of the country's most promising young players.
Which Gujarat players are in India's U-18 women's volleyball squad?
Three Gujarat players have been selected: Rajal Vala (captain, 16), Arpita Vadher (17), and Forum Kagathara (17). All three train at the High Performance Centre in Nadiad, run by the Sports Authority of Gujarat.
When and where is the AVC Asian Women's U-18 Volleyball Championship 2025?
The 16th AVC Asian Women's Under-18 Volleyball Championship is scheduled from 1 to 7 July in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. Sixteen teams from across Asia will compete for the continental title.
What is at stake for India at the AVC U-18 Championship?
Beyond the continental title, the tournament serves as the Asian qualifier for the 2027 FIVB Girls' Under-19 Volleyball World Championship. The top four teams will earn berths at the global event, making a top-four finish India's primary objective.
How was the India U-18 women's volleyball squad selected?
The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) first convened a national coaching camp of 24 players drawn from across the country. The final championship squad was then chosen from that pool based on performance at the camp.
