Raipur: Chhattisgarh’s women hockey players Madhu Sidar and Geeta Yadav have been selected in the Indian team for the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Junior Asia Cup 2026, which will be held in China from 30 August to 13 September. Their selection marks another milestone for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Centre of Excellence (CoE), Bilaspur, established by the Chhattisgarh Sports and Youth Welfare Department in June 2022 to provide modern scientific training to athletes.
Madhu Sidar, a native of Pongro village in Kansabel block of Jashpur district, comes from an agricultural family. Inspired by hockey at an early age, she earned a place in the state’s first Residential Hockey Academy through selection trials. She emerged as the highest scorer with nine goals in the Sub-Junior West Zone Championship 2023, won a silver medal at the Sub-Junior West Zone Championship 2024 in Gujarat, and represented Chhattisgarh in the Sub-Junior Hockey League in Lucknow.
She also competed in the SGFI School National Championship (2024–25), secured third place at the Sub-Junior Inter-Zone Championship 2025 in Haryana, finished fourth at the Sub-Junior National Championship in Andhra Pradesh in August 2025, and participated in the Khelo India Tribal Games 2026 held in Raipur. Since April 2026, she has been training at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), Bengaluru, with the national camp.
Geeta Yadav, who hails from Bodla in Kabirdham district, began her hockey journey under coach Shiva Chauhan before joining the KISCE Residential Academy, Bilaspur, on 1 June 2022. Under senior coach Rakesh Toppo, she sharpened her technical skills and later earned selection under Hockey India’s TOPS scheme. She is currently training at the NCOE, Bengaluru.
Geeta made her international debut in 2025 after representing India during the Netherlands and Belgium tour in November 2024. She later toured Argentina in May–June 2025 and represented the country again during the England and Scotland tour in July 2026.
The Bilaspur Centre of Excellence has played a crucial role in nurturing both players since its inception. They received training under senior coach Rakesh Toppo and guidance from head coach Vikas Paul and Ajit Lakra during their formative years.
Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao congratulated both players through a video call, expressing confidence that they would perform strongly and bring glory to India. Sports Secretary Yashwant Kumar, Sports Director Shweta Singh, Assistant Director (Bilaspur) G P Ekka, and Chhattisgarh Hockey Association General Secretary Manish Srivastava also congratulated the players and their coaches on this achievement.
