Date:03/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/03/stories/2008050353501800.htm

Sport - Sports : General

India can make top tier

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: India, which is seeded in Division II among the 25 Asian teams, has a realistic chance of making it to the top 5 of Asian rugby by 2010, said Aga Hussain, vice-president of the Indian Rugby Football Union and member of the Asian Rugby Tournament Committee.

He was speaking at the unveiling of the Asian5nations Trophy to be awarded to the champion of the Asian5nations rugby tournament, the symbol of supremacy in Asia.

The top tier of the Asian5nations will involve the leading five — Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan and Korea — in a single round-robin on a home-and-away format. The next tier, the Division I, will feature Sri Lanka, China, Singapore and Chinese Taipei, while the third tier — Division II — will have Malaysia, Thailand, India and Pakistan.

The final tier, involving the 12 remaining teams, will be divided into four groups of three each and will play the regional tournaments.

Inclusive nature

As proof of the uniquely inclusive nature of the asian5nations, the last-placed team in the top 5 competition in 2008 will be relegated to the 2009 Division I competition, while the top finisher in Division I will be promoted to the top tier. The promotion and relegation policy will also be in effect in Division I and Division II.

The Asian5nations Rugby Tournament, sponsored by HSBC, was launched by Asian Rugby Football Union in February 2008, an initiative featuring four tiers of competition across 25 Asian Rugby Unions.

Aga Hussain said: “There is finally a system in place to chart the progress of rugby-playing nations in Asia. The Asian5nations, with its promotion and relegation policy, gives India a realistic chance of making it to Division I in 2009 and then a slot in the top tier is not far away.”