From track to tackle: 20-year-old wins player of tournament at CASA rugby 7s

In her first senior international tournament, 20-year-old Mahak Chauhan scored nine tries across two days and was named Women’s Player of the Tournament at the inaugural Central and South Asia Rugby 7s Championship in Tashkent.

Chauhan, from Bhadrasu village in Uttarkashi, helped India challenge the region’s top teams in the high-intensity sevens format — seven players per side, seven minutes per half.

Her path to the podium began with a mix-up. In 2023, Chauhan went to Roorkee for what she believed was a race trial. It turned out to be rugby. She stayed, and coaches took notice.

Chauhan grew up in the Mori block of Uttarkashi, where the Tons river runs through deodar forests. After Class 8, she moved to Dehradun to pursue track and field training unavailable in her village.

Rugby has limited roots and resources in Uttarakhand. Ayush Saini, treasurer of the Uttarakhand Rugby Association and state coach, has been key to developing talent in the region.

In three years since that accidental trial, Chauhan worked through the ranks to earn her senior debut — one she marked with a standout performance on the international stage.