Rajasthan Government Grants Udaipur a Lacrosse Academy in the Budget

Udaipur: The state government has allocated a Lacrosse Academy in Udaipur as part of the budget, which is a significant gift for local rural and tribal talents, offering them an opportunity to hone their skills and achieve the highest level of excellence in the sport. The Lacrosse Association of India, Rajasthan Lacrosse Association, Udaipur Lacrosse Association officials, international and national medal-winning players, coaches, and sports enthusiasts have expressed their gratitude to Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma, Finance Minister Diya Kumari, Sports Minister Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Tribal Development Minister Babulal Kharadi, MPs, MLAs, local representatives, Forest Welfare Council, and Commissioner Pragya Kevalramani.

Coach Neeraj Batra mentioned that the opening of the Lacrosse Academy in Udaipur will provide the new generation with technical training, along with access to proper equipment, diet, and facilities for competitions. This will give players an opportunity to continuously improve their skills in the sport. With Lacrosse being included in the Los Angeles Olympics 2028, there is now hope for local talents to fulfill their dreams of representing India globally.

According to Batra, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, appreciated the achievements of the female players in the Indian team during an event in Mangadh and awarded the first-ever Rajashri Gantantra Day Award to team captain Sunita Meena. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also met Asian silver medal-winning Lacrosse players in Udaipur and praised their achievements. Additionally, he honored tribal Lacrosse players, Dali Gameti and Mohanlal Gameti, in Banswara.

Coach Batra noted that the Mewar region has produced seven female and three male international Lacrosse players, which is a remarkable achievement for India. Thanks to the recommendations from Tribal Development Minister Babulal Kharadi, local representatives, and TAD Commissioner Pragya Kevalramani, Udaipur’s emerging talents will now have the opportunity to fulfill their dreams through proper training. Players trained by Coach Neeraj Batra, including Sunita Meena, Dali Gameti, Meera Dourja, Jula Kumari Gurjar, Vishakha Meghwal, Hemlata Dangi in the women’s category, and Mohanlal Gameti, Khumaram Gameti, and Pranay Tripathi in the men’s category, are making their mark internationally. The women's team won a silver medal at the Asian competition in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, where captain Sunita Meena scored the highest with 22 goals, while the male players are showcasing their talents in Japan.

Batra also highlighted that recently, in the Senior National Competition held in Udaipur, both the men's and women's teams won gold medals, while both the boys’ and girls’ teams secured silver medals in the sub-junior category. Prior to that, both the men’s and women’s teams of Rajasthan won gold at the Federation Cup, asserting their dominance. In other competitions, the boys’ and girls’ teams of the First National Junior Competition won gold, while the girls’ team won gold and the boys’ team secured a bronze medal in the Second National Junior Competition. Rajasthan has dominated in 8 out of 14 competitions in national tournaments so far, winning 8 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Most of the players in the Rajasthan team are from Udaipur’s tribal areas.