Softball in Odisha

Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on Softball Association of India (softballindia.com), World Baseball Softball Confederation (wbsc.org), Wikipedia — Softball in India, India men's/women's national softball team. These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin: 19th century USA
Category: Team
Olympic discipline: Yes
Paralympic discipline: No
Central pathway: Olympic (TOPS eligible)
Athlete profiles on SportSupport: 0

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body: Softball Association of India
Ministry recognition: Not currently verified
International federation: Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion: Not currently verified
TOPS eligibility: In scope — TOPS covers Olympic medal prospects
Olympic status: On the Olympic programme
Paralympic status: Not a Paralympic discipline

Softball is listed on SportSupport in the team category. Its recorded origin is 19th century USA. It is on the Olympic programme. We list Softball Association of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Softball is on the pathway that runs through India's national sports federations to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), with selection running through Softball Association of India against its published benchmarks. Being on this pathway is not itself a statement that the discipline is currently in TOPS — TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group chosen by the Mission Olympic Cell.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for softball athletes in India.

Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for selected Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and an out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for athletes inducted by the Mission Olympic Cell. TOPS covers a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines rather than every Olympic sport, and induction is decided athlete by athlete; we hold no current list confirming whether softball is among the covered disciplines.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to softball.
Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons
Lifetime monthly pension (₹20,000 for Olympic/World/Asian/CWG medallists; scaled by tier) for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria — Government of India.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

No profiles yet

No athlete profiles are recorded for softball yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Similar to baseball but pitched underarm, played on a smaller diamond over 7 innings with teams of 9. The batting team scores runs by hitting the pitch and circling the bases before being put out.

Authoritative rulebook: Softball Association of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Typical roles across team sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced softball squad list.

Attackers / forwards
Primary scorers who operate closest to the opposition goal or scoring zone.
Midfielders / all-rounders
Link play between defence and attack; usually the highest work-rate positions.
Defenders
Deny the opposition space and possession in the defensive third.
Goalkeeper / last line
Specialist stopper with distinct kit and rules; the final line of defence.
Captain & vice-captain
On-field leadership, decision-making and communication with match officials.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in softball at a federation-recognised event.

Softball bat
Softball (larger, softer than a baseball)
Fielding glove
Batting helmet

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Softball Association of India

Softball Association of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Softball. We hold no confirmed Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so nothing here states that it is currently recognised.

Origin: 19th century USA
Olympic: Yes
Paralympic: No
Category: Team

SBAI profile →All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in softball.

National Softball Championship
India's primary domestic competition, organized by the Softball Association of India, held annually across East/West/North/South/Inter-Zone rounds feeding into sub-junior, junior and senior national events (44th edition held in Puri, Odisha).
National Baseball5 Championship
Baseball5 — a minimalist 5-a-side variant — was introduced in India by Punjab Baseball in 2019 and has grown quickly; the first national championship was held in 2021.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in softball.

Asian Softball Championship
India's men's team has competed since 1985 (best result: 4th, 2022) and is ranked 14th in WBSC's world rankings; the women's team has competed since 1991.
Softball World Cup
Both national teams have made one World Cup appearance each — men's in 2017, women's in 2016.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for softball. The national championship under Softball Association of India remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised softball athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for softball maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in softball — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Playing pathway through the Softball Association of India's zonal and national championship structure
An estimated one million children currently play softball in Indian schools and universities
Neetal Narang became the first female president of Softball India — a notable milestone in the sport's administration
Coaching and umpiring certification through the Softball Association of India

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

1 listed

Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, PatialaElite
Patiala, Punjab · Since 1961
Asia's largest sports institute and SAI's flagship coach-education and training campus.

All academies →List your academy →

Government Schemes

1 listed

Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for softball athletes and academies.

Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons to Group C Posts in the Central Government (DoPT Sports Quota)
Under instructions of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), central government ministries and departments can directly recruit meritorious sportspersons to Group C posts (including erstwhile Group D) that are filled by direct recruitment, in relaxation of the normal recruitment procedure. The list of qualifying sports has 65 disciplines (63 listed in 2020, with Tennis Ball Cricket added in January 2021 and Yogasana in June 2022). Kudo, Karate, Taekwondo, Golf, Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, Badminton, Cricket and Tennis are among them. Railways and a few scientific and atomic-energy services follow separate rules.

All government schemes →

FAQs

Common questions about softball in India.

Who governs Softball in India?▾

We list Softball Association of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Softball, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Softball an Olympic sport?▾

Yes, Softball is on the Olympic programme. Athletes selected by Softball Association of India against its published criteria can be considered for TOPS funding.

How do I start playing Softball in India?▾

The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Softball Association of India. Age-group state championships follow from there.

What government schemes support Softball athletes?▾

TOPS supports a Core Group and a Development Group of disciplines selected by the Mission Olympic Cell, rather than every Olympic sport. We hold no current list confirming whether Softball is among them, so we make no TOPS claim for it. State governments give cash awards to medallists at events they notify. Softball does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.

When did softball come to India?▾

Softball was introduced to India in 1944, when local boys in Jodhpur started playing with American troops stationed there during the Second World War.

Softball in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Softball in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.