Sanju Devi Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More

Sanju Devi Biography: Sanju Devi is a kabaddi player from Korba, Chhattisgarh. She is a raider who has become a rising star in Indian women’s kabaddi. She is the first woman kabaddi player from Chhattisgarh to be selected for the Indian national team for the World Cup, making her a historic figure for her state.

Early Kabaddi Career

Sanju Devi grew up in Korba, a city known for its industrial importance in Chhattisgarh. She developed her passion for kabaddi at a young age and worked her way up through local and state-level competitions. Despite coming from a state that is not traditionally known as a kabaddi hub, she worked hard to make her mark in the sport.

Playing Style and Specialty

Sanju is a raider who brings offensive energy to the Indian women’s team. She is skilled at executing raiding techniques and contributing points to her team. Her journey from a relatively less-known kabaddi region to the national team shows her exceptional talent and determination in the sport.

Training and Development

Sanju trains at the Women’s Residential Kabaddi Academy in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, under the guidance of coach Dil Kumar Rathod. This academy has been instrumental in developing her skills and preparing her for international competition. Her training under skilled coaching has helped her reach the national level.

International Breakthrough

In 2025, Sanju made her mark on the international stage when she participated in the 6th Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship held in Tehran, Iran. She was part of the Indian team that won the gold medal in this prestigious Asian event. Her performance in this championship caught the attention of national selectors, leading to her inclusion in the World Cup squad.

Historic Achievement

Sanju Devi’s selection for the 2nd Women’s Kabaddi World Cup is a historic moment for Chhattisgarh. She is the first woman kabaddi player from the state to be selected for the Indian national team for a World Cup tournament. After the Asian Championship triumph, she returned to Korba for a brief family visit where she received a grand welcome from her community.

Personal Life

Sanju comes from Korba and has overcome challenges to pursue her passion for kabaddi. Her selection in the national team is a source of pride for her family and her state. She has spent time training in various places including Haryana to improve her skills and prepare for international competitions.

Current Status

Sanju Devi is part of the Indian women’s kabaddi team squad for the 2nd Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025, which will be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, from November 17 to 24, 2025. The team is led by captain Ritu Negi with vice-captain Pushpa Rana. The team is being coached by Tejaswini Bai (Head Coach) and Kavita Selvaraj (Assistant Coach). This is a significant opportunity for Sanju to showcase her talent on the world stage and contribute to India’s bid to defend its World Cup title.

Social Media

Sanju maintains an Instagram profile @sanju_09_04_kabaddi where she shares updates about her kabaddi career and training journey.

• Mini Narwal Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More
• Sakshi Sharma Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More
• Bhavna Devi Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More
• Champa Thakur Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More
• Sonali Shingate Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More

Asian Games 2026:

Sanju Devi have been phenomenal performer for India throughout Asian Games 2026.

Sanju Devi have scored more than 20 points so far in marquee event.

Sanju Devi, offensive ability have been up to the mark especially in crunch situations where she did exceptionally well.

Sanju Devi as raider is equally professional when it comes to executing- left raid and right raid at the same time.

The Quality posses by her is not seen in Kabaddi Ecosystem.

Sanju Devi Consistency have been remarkable whether it is related with Kabaddi World Cup or current marquee event she has been synonym with consistency.

She deserve all credit for innovating her game plan and delivering her best performance whenever it mattered the most.

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQ) about Sanju Devi:

Q-1 Who is Sanju Devi?

Answer: Sanju Devi is an Indian professional kabaddi player who represents the Indian Women’s National Kabaddi Team as a primary raider. Hailing from Kerakachhar village in the Pali block of Korba district, Chhattisgarh, she holds the historic distinction of being the first female kabaddi player from Chhattisgarh to represent India on the international stage and play in the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup.

Q-2 : What is Sanju Devi’s primary position on the mat?

Answer: Sanju plays as an offensive raider. She is widely recognized for her versatility, speed, footwork, and ability to execute both left and right raids with equal precision, making her a constant threat to opposing defensive setups.

Q-3: Where is Sanju Devi from?

Answer: She was born in Kerakachhar, a small village in the Pali block of Korba district in Chhattisgarh. Korba is predominantly known as an industrial and mining hub rather than a traditional sports background, making her rise to the top tier of Indian kabaddi remarkable.

Q-4: When was Sanju Devi born?

Answer: Sanju Devi was born on December 19, 2002.

Q-5: What are Sanju Devi’s major career achievements so far?

Answer: Her major achievements include:

MVP & Champion at 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup: Won the gold medal with India in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) / Player of the Tournament title after scoring a tournament-defining 16 raid points in the final against Chinese Taipei.

Gold Medalist at Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship: Won gold at the 6th Asian Championship held in Tehran, Iran in 2025.

Historical Milestone: First female kabaddi player from Chhattisgarh to earn a cap for the Indian national senior squad and represent the country in world events.

State Recognition: Recipient of the state’s Yuva Ratna (Sports) Award conferred by the Government of Chhattisgarh for extraordinary athletic excellence.

Q-6: How did Sanju Devi start her kabaddi journey?

Answer: Sanju began playing kabaddi as a student in Class 5 at her local government school in Kerakachhar. Initially playing for fun, her natural athleticism caught the eye of local coach Anuj Pratap Singh, who introduced her to formal training and fundamentals. To practice, she regularly traveled nearly three hours daily from her village to Korba town before entering structured academies.

Q-7: What challenges did she face during her early development?

Answer: Coming from a modest family background where her parents worked as daily wage laborers, financial resources were severely limited. Chhattisgarh did not have a pre-existing elite kabaddi pipeline comparable to states like Haryana or Maharashtra. Sanju had to contend with long commutes, a lack of local sports role models, and limited specialized training equipment before being identified for state-level programs.

Q-8: Where did Sanju undergo her formal training?

Answer: Her major technical development took place at the government-run Women’s Residential Kabaddi Academy in Bahatrai, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. Under the supervision of head coach Dil Kumar Rathod, she received systematic training in physical conditioning, tactical analysis, gym work, and sports nutrition. She has also trained in hubs like Haryana to refine her skills against top national defenders.

Q-9 : Who were her early coaches and mentors?

Q-10 : How has her success impacted kabaddi in Chhattisgarh?

Answer: Sanju’s international success has served as a catalyst for grassroots sports in Chhattisgarh. Being the state’s first international female kabaddi player, her achievements prompted government honors (such as the Yuva Ratna) and inspired a surge of interest among young girls in rural areas to pursue kabaddi professionally.

Q-11:What makes Sanju Devi’s raiding style unique?

Answer: Sanju possesses ambidextrous agility on the mat. Unlike raiders who rely strictly on one side of the court, she executes ambidextrous raids—attacking from both the left and right sides seamlessly. Her key strengths include:

Quick Footwork & Running Hand Touches: Swift mat coverage to catch corner defenders off-guard.

Tactical Escapes: High body control enabling quick turns and escapes out of defensive tackles.

Clutch Performance: High efficiency during Do-or-Die raids and multi-point situational moments.

Q-12: How did Sanju perform at the 2025 Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka?

Answer: Sanju was the breakout star of the tournament. She anchored India’s undefeated run throughout the World Cup. In the final against Chinese Taipei, she produced a game-changing 4-point super raid in the first half and completed the match with 16 raid points, securing a 35-28 victory for India and winning the Most Valuable Player award.

Q-13 : What role did she play in the Asian Championships and Asian Games?

Answer: At the 6th Asian Women’s Kabaddi Championship in Tehran, Iran (2025), Sanju made her international debut and helped India win the gold medal. She followed this with consistent performances in major multi-sport events like the Asian Games, regularly delivering multi-point raids and scoring over 20 raid points during crucial tournament matches.

Overall Sanju Devi, humble journey to the Top Most Level have been exceptional.

There are very little chances, expert talk about mental side of players life, where Sanju Devi excels at Top Most Level.

Sanju Devi gameplay in all facets of the game have improve and credit should be given to Coach and Players as well as skipper should be given credit for bringing this amazing transformation.

Sanju Devi personality could be decoded via her interview which she gave to Kabaddi Adda Portal where she has been person who is usually shy when it comes to Kabaddi she brings her A game on the table.

Sanju Devi certainly become Captain in future, considering she get groomed on consistent basis.