During his 21st year of teaching geography at North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong, Bijay Singh Mipun probably didn’t think that two decades later he would be known as the ‘Father of Indian lacrosse’.

“No one had played this game in the country before and I thought people here could play it. That’s why I introduced it here. Stamina and energy are must for the sport, and the stick makes it similar to hockey, which is known here. If we can play hockey, we can play this,” he says.

In February, India bagged a double gold at the Asian Lacrosse Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. While the men’s team beat Iraq 9-2, the women’s team defeated Pakistan 22-5. This was the women’s team’s second medal at the tournament after it had clinched silver in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at the inaugural edition. For the men’s team, this was a first appearance and only its second tournament abroad after it had participated in the Okinawa Open — an open competition in Japan — in 2025.

The double gold in West Asia tastes sweeter in the larger context of the sport as it gears up to make a return to the Olympic stage after 120 years as a medal event, albeit in the Sixes format. In 2023, lacrosse was added as one of the disciplines for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which has certainly made people take notice of the game in the subcontinent. The last time it was part of the Olympics as a medal sport, in 1908, it was played in the field format.

Here’s the story of how the ‘fastest sport on two feet’ slowly, but steadily, gained momentum in India, grappling with challenges and waiting in hope of recognition from the government.

Building blocks

Mipun, apart from being a geography professor, was also an NSS (National Service Scheme) Programme Officer at the university level. It was through his friend Dipak Kumar, now a retired National-level NSS Coordinator, that the Assam native learnt about the sport.

It was during Dipak’s many work-related sojourns in Japan that he was introduced to the sport and cultivated contacts with people associated with it in the island nation. “I made Bijay speak to representatives from Japan and that’s how it started. I also thought the sport would do well in the northeast,” Dipak tells this publication.

May 19, 2006 — a date Mipun remembers like clockwork — is when he started the Lacrosse Association of India at NEHU in Shillong. What followed was a series of correspondence with the International Federation of Lacrosse (now World Lacrosse) and the Japan Lacrosse Association (JLA).

The help from JLA, especially in the formative years, was important. The sport has existed there since the late 1980s. Moreover, Japan’s position as one of Asia’s lacrosse powerhouses is established through the current World Lacrosse rankings. In Sixes, the men’s team sits third, while the women’s team is fourth. In other formats and under-20 categories, the Japanese national teams occupy spots in the top five, or at worst, the top ten.

These exchanges resulted in the world body’s development committee sending equipment sets for 20 players to Mipun in late 2006.

“Then I requested a coach named David Hulsoor, who had done some coaching in Tonga, to come to Shillong and train 10 of my students. He came for about a month between November and December that year,” Mipun recalls.

Help continued to come in from foreign delegates, including Tom Hayes, the former development director of World Lacrosse, who provided Mipun with CDs and material to better understand the sport. In 2007, the Japanese Lacrosse Association invited him to attend a clinic in Tokyo.

“While returning, they provided 40 sets of sticks and protective gear, and I had to spend my own money at the airport to bring them home because of the extra baggage (laughs),” he says.

In 2008, a Japanese coach came to train the students at the university for a few days, after which states like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra started showing interest in the game. “They would contact the international body, which would direct all Indian queries to me,” Mipun adds.

While interest was generated in pockets, the lacrosse movement didn’t gain much traction. “The sport didn’t become very popular because it was quite expensive,” Dipak explains.

But years later, in 2016, a meeting between Mipun and Uttar Pradesh’s Tausif Ahmad Lari became the new lease of life the sport perhaps needed in the country.

Federation in transition

Tausif brought the sport to Uttar Pradesh, saw its potential, and ramped up efforts to spread it across the country. This led to LAI being registered afresh, with Gorakhpur as the headquarters, in 2021. Three years later, it was granted Full Member status by World Lacrosse.

Last year, elections were held in which Tausif was elected CEO, while sitting Member of Parliament from Gorakhpur, Ravi Kishan, was chosen as president unanimously.

“He’s a known face, a national figure, a sitting MP from Gorakhpur. We requested him to lead us and he accepted,” says Hemanshu Sinha, LAI’s Head of Media and Communications.

On LAI’s Instagram page, a video shows Ravi Kishan brandishing a lacrosse stick and tossing a ball around. “As the president of LAI, I welcome all the lacrosse players from across the country to the 3rd National Championships,” the Laapataa Ladies and Maamla Legal Hai actor says.

A significant role in building this federation, of a completely new sport from scratch, was played by the existing system of another federation.

Tausif’s father, Anish Ahmad Lari, was one of the founding members of the Tennis Ball Cricket Federation of India (TBCFI), which was recognised as a National Sports Federation in 1999. Tausif’s brother, Imran, is currently serving a second consecutive term as Secretary General. A look at TBCFI’s website reveals three of its helpline numbers on that of LAI. Moreover, both head offices are separated by a 15-minute walk within the Main Bazar area of Gorakhpur.

“Obviously we have used the existing system. We have sought guidance from them. Entanglement does happen. They have networks in schools which help in spreading the word. Just because we deal with lacrosse doesn’t mean we don’t know people in other associations,” Sinha explains.

In these five years as an official association, 26 State associations have come up under LAI. The body’s website is still under updation, Sinha says, which perhaps explains why some affiliate numbers were unreachable. Nevertheless, 20 of the 26 associations were contacted.

Based on these interactions, the Andhra Pradesh association was the oldest, formed in 2019. Among the newest are Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Jharkhand, all of which have been operating for about a year.

So far, LAI has conducted three Senior National Championships (March 2024, February 2025, May 2025) and two Federation Cups (September 2024, December 2025), apart from junior and sub-junior nationals.

Learning with a little help from my friends

Mipun, currently LAI’s senior vice president, recalls how in 2017 and 2019 he travelled to Thailand and South Korea to better understand the sport and learn how to develop it. “And in Korea, at that time, they were having trials for the Sixes, the format which now is in the Olympics.”

Back home, the association conducted several coaching clinics and camps to acclimatise players to the sport. In December 2022, Nirav Haria conducted the first of his two coaching camps (the second was in December 2023) in Agra after Tausif had reached out to him. Haria, originally from Mumbai, moved to Luxembourg in 2017, where he was introduced to lacrosse. He went on to play for the national team and was also part of the boards of the Luxembourg and European Lacrosse Federations.

“We had players from more than 15 States. It was a mix of youth and adults, all of whom were very enthusiastic. Many State-level federations were being formed. I even helped the Haryana Federation get lacrosse sticks from a supplier in Czechia — a friend who manufactured sticks at a cheaper price,” Haria recalls.

Around the same time, LAI hosted Japan Lacrosse Association’s Hiroyasu Ichikawa and Shinji Yura. The foreign delegates conducted a clinic in Agra, with TJ Buchanan, Director of Sport at World Lacrosse, joining virtually.

Buchanan returned to Agra in 2024 in the lead-up to the maiden Nationals. He was joined by Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Union (APLU) Executive Director Chris Jinno and then Lacrosse Australia Level 2 official Tyler Nolf.

“The first National Lacrosse Championships in India saw a tremendous turnout, with 480 athletes from 22 States competing across six divisions: sub-junior, junior, and senior for both men and women. Over three days, more than 90 shortened Sixes games showcased talent in India,” an article on the APLU website reads.

Nolf taught 20 budding officials during a three-day programme. “Using materials from the WL Educator Academy, Nolf covered key officiating concepts like slow whistles, walling, and draws. Impressively, 87 out of the 90 games were officiated entirely by these newly trained officials,” APLU notes.

Meanwhile, Buchanan and Jinno focused on teaching the basics of the sport, such as cradling, passing, catching, and shooting, as well as elements of team defence and offence.

Jinno returned again in August 2025. In Gorakhpur, the former Japanese international conducted a national coaching camp ahead of the second edition of the Nationals. This five-day camp was held “for upcoming international events (men and women)”, as per an LAI Instagram post.

The aforementioned instances were examples of LAI reaching out to experts for assistance. But there was a curious case down south, when a Dutch player found his way to a camp in Tamil Nadu.

Iepe Bouw, who represented the Netherlands at two box lacrosse World Championships, was visiting his girlfriend in Puducherry last November when he sought out the lacrosse-playing community in the region. He then attended a Tamil Nadu camp earlier this year, where he played with others and also shared his experience. Bouw was subsequently invited as one of the chief guests for the State Championships held in March.

“Basic fitness- and health-wise, they’re amazing,” Bouw says of the Indian players, commending their ability to perform in the unforgiving heat. “One thing that is lacking is stick skills. It takes a lot of effort to really get used to the stick. Of course, many of them are used to playing cricket and they’re using that knowledge here too. So I think that’s also interesting, for India to use their cricket experience and adapt that to the game.”

While the knowledge of these visitors helped in building a foundation, the existing sporting background of players and coaches also aided their adaptation.

Learning with a sense of familiarity

“I think one of the easiest ways to explain lacrosse is to say it’s like playing hockey in air,” says Anudeep Reddy, captain of the Indian men’s team.

The Hyderabad player found it easier to take to lacrosse thanks to his decade-long experience in hockey during his school and college days.

“This sport is a combination of three games: hockey, basketball, and handball. Players who have prior experience in any of these sports will find it easier to take up lacrosse. Also, there’s the physical aspect to it, similar to rugby,” explains Shakheel Khan, head coach of the Indian men’s team.

Shakheel himself has experience as a hockey coach and umpire. “I had come across many lacrosse videos on Facebook and YouTube and found it quite similar to hockey. The Internet is a great teacher. I went through the rules and regulations made available by World Lacrosse to educate myself. Then we had those workshops and seminars. These efforts were made even before lacrosse became part of the Olympics.”

Another beneficiary of these clinics was Neeraj Batra, head coach of the Indian women’s team. He had attended Haria’s 2023 workshop.

“I asked to be sent as one of the coaches from Rajasthan to attend a camp in Agra. In that camp, the coach from Luxembourg taught us the basics of the game, the rules, and technical aspects.”

Batra is a physical education teacher in a government senior secondary school in Dhar, a village in the tribal belt of Udaipur.

“Where I teach, it’s a tribal belt and I wanted to help the children. I shifted them to lacrosse because it was a new sport and it was included in the Olympics.”

One of the youngsters influenced by Batra was Sunita Meena, captain of the Indian women’s team, who transitioned from handball and hockey to lacrosse.

“He returned and told all of his students, from different sports, that this game has been included in the Olympics and the future is bright. He told us to join it. The sport seemed to be a mixture of handball and hockey, so it was easier for us to take to it.”

“Despite there not being many facilities, they (players from the tribal belt) have been doing very well,” Sunita says with a smile.

Six players from the Bhil-Ghameti tribe in Dhar were part of the gold-winning teams in Riyadh — two women (Dali, Yashoda) and four men (Mohan Lal, Daya Shankar, Khuma, Narayan Lal). All hail from impoverished families where the parents, mostly the fathers, are labourers.

Mohan, whose father drives a tempo, also works at night to earn money after a day that includes attending college and practising lacrosse. He serves as a night guard at Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar’s house inside Udaipur’s City Palace. The 21-year-old earns ₹300 for a 12-hour shift.

“The atmosphere in our village is very different. Nothing happens here. You often get married off quickly as well. When we used to play handball, we would be taunted. But after Neeraj sir’s intervention, it’s much better. People don’t say anything now — lacrosse has made us known here,” Mohan says.

In both the men’s and women’s national teams, most players have transitioned from other sports. There are former gymnasts and national-level handball medallists among the women, while the men’s team goalkeeper has a background in cricket.

Having played multiple sports is where, Haria feels, Indians already hold an advantage.

“We have the basic skills. There is hand-eye coordination and people understand how a ball moves. Throwing and catching are part of cricket skills that people learn. It’s more about getting comfortable with the stick and the ball. And then it’s all about scoring as many goals as possible. So there are a lot of transferable skills from other sports that India could already start with.”

“One thing beginners need to forget is that this is not hockey. They need to unlearn a few things and really focus on the basics first, which is catching, passing, and how to pick up a ground ball. This sport is more technical,” he adds.

Another player who entered lacrosse with a strong hockey base is Abhilove Kour from Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir. She discovered the sport through social media and was intrigued enough to make her own lacrosse stick using pipe material and thick string.

“I practiced hockey regularly. With lacrosse, I would do solo drills at home, hitting a tennis cricket ball against terrace walls. The main thing in the sport is catching and throwing. Sometimes I would ask my brother to help as well,” she recalls.

Abhilove did not know there was a J&K lacrosse association when she was practising with her handmade stick. It was only during the open national trials last August — where she impressed and made the national team — that she learnt about the State body.

The trials were also the first time she played the sport with others.

Solving problems

Like any other sport, the development and growth of lacrosse will receive a boost once the grassroots are strengthened. For that, Haria points to the European model.

Haria explains how grassroots lacrosse there involves introducing the sport to children in schools. “If you just place the sticks in a school, someone will pick it up. A federation focuses on how to get more coaches. There are players who turn into coaches, but we also run a curriculum in Luxembourg for PE teachers. They teach a variety of sports, but if you also teach them lacrosse and provide equipment, they’re happy to dedicate a session or two each week. This is how you start growing.”

Tausif outlines how LAI plans to expand the sport across the country: “Our plan is to introduce the sport through SGFI (School Games Federation of India). Once it enters this system, the game will reach every school in every district. After that, we’ll try and take it to the AIU (Association of Indian Universities) level.”

During the last Nationals, then Joint Secretary Baljit Singh Sekhon had attended, and discussions around this proposal had taken place. However, Sekhon was suspended by AIU last July — two months after the lacrosse nationals — after selected athletes missed participating at the World University Games.

But for LAI, grassroots may be the last box it wants to tick. More immediate concerns remain — a lack of funds and, more critically, equipment.

“I would say it’s definitely an expensive sport if you want to pursue it all by yourself,” Anudeep says.

So far, equipment has largely been imported, and a good-quality full kit can cost anywhere between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh.

“LAI has been providing us with organisational support as well as equipment, but in terms of funding, most players have been managing by themselves. Some received support from their State governments, some spent their own money, and some even saw their entire village crowd-fund,” he adds.

In the early days, Shakheel recalls, makeshift solutions were common. “We used hockey helmets and chest guards for goalkeepers during practice. Then during the Asian Lacrosse Games in Uzbekistan, with the help of Chris Jinno, we got some World Lacrosse-approved equipment and brought it back.”

Additionally, Shakheel’s employer, Sharda World School in Agra — where he is Head of Sports — sponsored the Indian women’s team kit for the tournament in Samarkand.

Among examples of State-led support is Rajasthan State Mines and Minerals Limited, which sponsors players from the State. “In 2024, the State government set aside a budget for an academy with a field dedicated to lacrosse in Udaipur. It’s almost completed,” Sunita reveals.

However, such support exists only in pockets.

“Sometimes sponsorships come from private entities, sometimes from governments. There are multiple stakeholders. It could be the Rajasthan or Chhattisgarh government, or the local administration helping a child. There’s no uniformity,” Sinha explains.

For equipment, India has largely relied on Chinese imports, which are the cheapest in the global market. Even State associations have had to buy sticks from the national federation, albeit at subsidised rates.

“We had to charge subsidised rates because we are not receiving financial aid from the government. It was practically impossible to provide equipment for free,” Sinha says.

However, that may soon change. LAI is set to begin domestic production after striking a deal for 5,000 sticks with Anand and Anand, a Jalandhar-based sports manufacturing company.

“From China, each stick costs us around ₹2,800 to ₹3,000. With Anand and Anand, the price is expected to come down by half,” Tausif estimates.

Ashish Anand, CEO of the company, recalls first meeting Imran during a tennis-ball cricket tournament.

“I told him to send me samples. R&D took some time, but within a year we were able to produce them. We are waiting for the moulds to arrive, which are made in-house. Once ready, we should be able to deliver within three months,” Ashish says.

He also made a promise to the players.

“I told them that if India qualifies for the Olympics, they will have a made-in-India stick in their hands.”

One way many of LAI’s challenges could ease is through recognition from the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The association submitted its final proposal earlier this year under the National Sports Code 2011. There is hope that a recent meeting with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, following the Riyadh double gold, will help accelerate the process.

“We first want recognition from the Indian government and then approach IOA,” Tausif says.

“Recognition will help us get rebates on equipment imports. It will also make it easier to bring foreign coaches to India, because this is not a sport native to the country,” Sinha adds.

At the State level, efforts are also being made to secure job opportunities for players.

“As per government rules, anyone who participates in the Olympics is eligible for a government job. However, not everyone gets that opportunity. So, our State federation has approached SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) and SAI (Sports Authority of India) to help us get lacrosse recognised. We are hopeful,” says Tamil Nadu player Solomon Raj.

Road ahead

The Indian teams were supposed to travel to China for the Asian Lacrosse Games, but visa issues prevented participation.

However, their participation in October’s Asia-Pacific Lacrosse Championship in Australia has been confirmed.

This will mark their debut in the tournament, which serves as the first step in the qualification pathway to the 2028 Olympics.

The top 16 teams in both men’s and women’s categories from the four continental championships will advance to next year’s World Lacrosse Sixes Championships. From there, five teams each — including the USA as host, provided it competes in both stages — will qualify for the Olympics.

The final Olympic spot will be decided through another qualifying event in early 2028, featuring the top six teams from the world championship rankings.

While performing well at the Asian qualifiers would be a fitting reward for the sport’s rapid growth in India, Haria believes improvement should remain the primary focus.

“There’s always a chance, but the aim should not be qualification alone. It should be about getting better. That’s how development happens. There are nations like Hong Kong and Australia that have been playing for a long time. The level is very high. But competing against them is a valuable learning experience. The approach has to be long-term, irrespective of results.”

Published on May 03, 2026