Karaikal girl wins gold medal at 4th Asian Roll Ball championship

Karaikal's Vaishali Murugesan wins gold at Asian Roll Ball Championship, hopes to inspire more athletes in Puducherry.

Karaikal’s Vaishali Murugesan has brought laurels to her hometown and the Union Territory of Puducherry by winning a gold medal at the 4th Asian Roll Ball Championship, held in Goa from December 16 to 19.

Ms.Vaishali,18, a second-year Computer Science Engineering student at Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Institute of Engineering and Technology (PKIET), was part of the 12-member Indian women’s team that triumphed over Iran in the finals. The Indian men’s team also secured gold in the championship.

Selected from over 220 players during trials in Belgaum, Karnataka, Vaishali was the sole representative from Puducherry Union Territory in the national team. Reflecting on her journey, she credited her Class 11 physical education teacher Mangala Sundari for introducing her to the sport and noted her five-year-long dedication to roll ball, an Indian-origin game recognised by the Union government and the Sports Authority of India. “Roll ball requires speed, strength, accuracy, and team spirit, and playing it has greatly helped shape my personality,” she said.

At a felicitation event held on Friday, Karaikal District Collector D. Manikandan congratulated Vaishali for her achievement, calling her a role model for aspiring athletes in the region. Ms.Vaishali expressed her pride in being the first gold medallist in roll ball from Karaikal, an economically backward area, and hoped her success would inspire more boys and girls to take up sports.

The event was organised by the Karaikal District Parent-Teacher Welfare Association, led by its president, A. Vincent, and attended by roll ball association officials and Vaishali’s parents. Puducherry Amateur Roll Ball Association Secretary V. Muthukumar noted that over 300 students in Karaikal, from both government and private schools, are currently learning the sport, with free training sessions being conducted.

Despite her success, Ms.Vaishali highlighted the lack of infrastructure and support for athletes in Karaikal. She called for the establishment of proper facilities and government assistance for basic competition expenses. “Our existing ground has no facilities. Support from the government is crucial for nurturing talent,” she said. Her immediate goal is to represent India in the Roll Ball World Cup, with confidence in her team’s ability to secure another victory.