Tribal girl from Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Bijapur leads state to bronze at Junior National Softball Championship

RAIPUR: A tribal girl from Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Bijapur district, Anuradha Kolasi, played a pivotal role in guiding the state to a bronze medal at the 43rd Junior National Softball Championship held in Chandigarh from May 29 to June 2.Anuradha, who played as a pitcher, delivered an impressive performance throughout the tournament, helping Chhattisgarh secure crucial wins. Several other tribal girls from Bijapur and Jashpur also contributed significantly to the team's success, showcasing the rising talent from remote regions of the state.The Chhattisgarh team had a strong start, defeating Himachal Pradesh 4–0 and Odisha 2–1 to advance to the Super League stage. In the Super League, they edged past Rajasthan 1–0, faced a narrow 0–1 loss against Telangana, and bounced back to beat Chandigarh 4–1. The team topped their pool based on run average, securing the bronze medal.In a tightly contested semi-final against Haryana, Chhattisgarh led for most of the game but ultimately lost 5–7, settling for third place.The Chhattisgarh girls’ team comprised Anuradha Kolasi, Pooja Korsa, Lakshmi Baghel, Asmita Marpalli, Rinki Hemla (Bijapur), Bholi Sahu, Reshma Sahu, Pallavi Sahu, Sushmita Jogi (Bemetara), Poonam Koparkar, Sneha Dhimer (Raipur), Shivani Yadav (Durg), Chandrakanta Bareth (Pamgarh), Shweta Xalxo (Jashpur), and Chandni Sahu (Kabirdham).