PANAJI
Goa's Chanel Crizzle has been selected to be a part of the Indian national team for the Asia Rugby U-20 tournament scheduled to be held in Uzbekistan, from November 5-6. Last year, Crizzle -- a 17-year-old student of Sharada Mandir School -- represented India in the Asian Rugby Championship held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in the U-18 category where India secured second place.
“I feel extremely proud to be selected out of thousands of rugby players, and to attend the camp and also be the youngest player on the team,” Crizzle told The Goan. An avid sportsperson and athlete, she has previously represented Goa at the national level in football, athletics and shot put.
Crizzle has won several accolades in shot put and currently holds the State record in the U-14 and U-17 category. “I'm looking forward to playing alongside the best players in the country as well as other countries. Last time, we fell short of the gold, but this time we are confident that we will bring the gold back,” said Crizzle, who landed in Uzbekistan on Tuesday.
Her love for sports began at a very young age, when she began playing football. She gives credit to her uncle - Paul, who is also her first football coach. Crizzle's school identified and nurtured the athlete in her. “My family too has always been by my side and believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself,” she said. "My goal was to play rugby for my country and I worked extremely hard to cement my position in this squad."
Talking about her future goals, Crizzle said, "I would like to pursue sports management and get the opportunity to play rugby internationally and look forward to scholarships to help me pursue my dreams.”
