Overview
Tejaswini Bai is an Indian kabaddi player known for her contributions to the women's game in India. She has represented India at international competitions and has been associated with the rise of women's kabaddi as a competitive sport on the global stage during the late 2000s and 2010s.
Key facts
| Name | Tejaswini Bai |
|---|---|
| Country | India |
| Sport | Kabaddi |
| State | Karnataka |
| Discipline | Women's kabaddi |
Background
Tejaswini Bai hails from Karnataka, a state that has produced several notable women kabaddi players for the national team. She took up kabaddi at a young age and progressed through state-level competitions before earning a place in the Indian women's national squad. Her style of play has been associated with all-round ability, contributing both as a raider and in defensive roles.
Career
Tejaswini Bai was part of the Indian women's kabaddi team during a period when the sport was being introduced and consolidated at major multi-sport events in Asia. She represented India at international tournaments organised under the Asian Kabaddi Federation and the broader umbrella of Asian-level competition.
National team
As a member of the Indian women's kabaddi side, she participated in matches against teams from countries including Iran, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Chinese Taipei, which were among the principal competitors in women's kabaddi during her playing years.
Domestic competition
At the domestic level, Tejaswini Bai featured for Karnataka in the Senior National Kabaddi Championship organised by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI), the apex body for the sport in the country.
Significance
Tejaswini Bai is part of a generation of Indian women kabaddi players who helped establish India's dominance in the sport at the Asian level and who paved the way for greater visibility of women's kabaddi. The success of the Indian women's team during this period contributed to the eventual launch of professional women's kabaddi initiatives in India and increased recognition for women athletes from non-metropolitan backgrounds.