Aman Verma
Goa’s rapidly developing lacrosse programme has reached another significant milestone, with Moshe Devappa and Sirvam Deulkar selected to represent the Indian men’s lacrosse team at the Malaysia Lacrosse Tournament 2026, organised by the Malaysia Lacrosse Association and sanctioned by the Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union (APLU). The tournament is scheduled to be held from August 28 to 30 at Stadium Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Their selection marks an important moment for Goa, where lacrosse is still a relatively young and unfamiliar sport. It also reflects the progress made by the Goa Lacrosse Association (GLA), which has been working to introduce the game through grassroots camps, school programmes and competitive opportunities.
Goa’s emergence on the national stage has already produced results, including silver medals at the Junior Lacrosse National Championships in 2023 and 2024.
“This is now a proud moment for Goa. Moshe is not only a player but also a coach who is working extremely hard to support our grassroots development. His selection shows that hard work and commitment do pay off. I also congratulate Sirvam, who has been putting in many hours to develop his skills,” said GLA Senior Vice President Tejendra Lawande.
The association is now looking to expand the sport further across the state. GLA secretary Mangesh Pawar said the focus is on taking lacrosse to more young athletes and creating a pathway that can eventually lead from grassroots participation to professional competition.
“Our priority is to take lacrosse to more young athletes across Goa. We are working towards broadbasing the sport within the next two years and also plan to launch a professional league later this year, creating a pathway from grassroots participation to competitive and professional lacrosse,” Pawar said.
The selection of Devappa and Deulkar comes at a particularly significant time for lacrosse internationally. Lacrosse has a long Olympic history, having last featured as an official medal sport at the 1908 London Olympics. The sport is now returning to the Olympic stage in a new format, with Lacrosse Sixes set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Pawar believes that development presents a major opportunity for Goa.
For the two players, however, the journey began long before the possibility of international competition came into view.
Sixteen-year-old Deulkar said lacrosse was barely known in Goa when he started playing it around four or five years ago.
“When I started playing in Goa four or five years ago, very few people knew about the game. After some time, the game was introduced to everyone in Goa,” Deulkar said.
Over time, players from different parts of the state, including Margao, Mapusa and Vasco, began taking up the sport. What started as a small group gradually developed into organised men’s and women’s teams, with players competing at state and national levels.
A key figure in that development has been Pawar, who has been involved in coaching, player development and the organisation of training programmes. Players credit him with helping arrange equipment, conducting camps and preparing athletes for national competitions.
However, infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges facing the sport.
Players say Goa does not yet have a dedicated lacrosse ground, making regular training difficult. Equipment, coaching resources and access to suitable facilities are also areas where greater investment is needed.
Despite those limitations, Devappa and Deulkar have managed to progress to the national level.
For Devappa, the Malaysia tournament will represent his first opportunity to wear India’s colours.
“This is my first chance to represent India. I have played two or three nationals and won silver medals for Goa, but I have never experienced anything like this before. This is my first time representing India,” Devappa said.
The achievement, he believes, also demonstrates what is possible through emerging sports.
“There are many new sports and many opportunities coming up. With a lot of effort, two players from Goa have been selected to represent India. It is a proud moment for us, and we hope more players from Goa can get the same opportunity in the future,” he said.
The growth of lacrosse in Goa is not restricted to the men’s game. The state has also shown promise in women’s lacrosse, with Priyanka having represented Goa at the national level.
Goa finished second in the girls’ division at the 2nd Junior National Lacrosse Championship in Agra, held from September 27 to 29, 2024. Priyanka, who competed at the tournament, said the experience demonstrated that Goa’s women players can compete strongly against teams from across the country.
At the same time, she stressed that better facilities would be essential if the sport is to grow.
Despite the challenges, Priyanka believes lacrosse can become an accessible sporting option for young girls in the state.
“It may seem difficult at first, but while learning it can become easy. Anyone can learn it; you just need to practise,” she said.
The story of lacrosse in Goa is still at an early stage, but the progress over the past few years is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. From a handful of people familiar with the sport and limited access to equipment, Goa has progressed to national medals, organised men’s and women’s teams and now two players earning selection to represent India internationally.
For Devappa and Deulkar, the immediate challenge is Kuala Lumpur, where they will take the next step in their sporting journeys. For Goa, their selection represents something bigger — proof that emerging sports can create opportunities for young athletes when they are given coaching, competition and consistent support.
With Lacrosse Sixes heading to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the timing could hardly be more significant.
Goa may still be at the beginning of its lacrosse journey, but the ambition is clear: introduce the sport to more schools, develop a wider talent pool, improve infrastructure and create a pathway that can take players from their first training session to the national and international stage.
For Goa’s lacrosse players, the journey has only just begun. And as the sport moves towards its Olympic return, the sticks, goals and players from Goa could soon become a much more familiar sight in Indian sport.
