Kavita Selvaraj Biography: Early Life, Domestic Career, Achievements, Social Media and More

Kavita Selvaraj is the chief coach of the Indian women’s kabaddi team. She was born on May 21, 1984. Kavita comes from Chennai, a city in Tamil Nadu. Today, she stands as a respected coach in the sport. She guides young women players to become national and international champions.

Early Life and Background

Kavita was born in the year 1984 in Chennai. She grew up in an area where the sport was popular. Her family supported her interest in athletics. As a young girl, she dreamed of playing at a national level. She worked hard to turn her dreams into reality.

Career as an Athlete

She had a long career as a player. She competed for her country in many international events. Her playing career was full of success and hard work. She played in many competitions across Asia.

International Achievements as a Competitor

As an athlete, she won many medals for her country. She competed in the 2007 Asian Championship. Here, she helped her team win a gold medal. In 2008, she competed in another Asian Championship. Her country won gold again at this event too.

In 2010, she played in the 16th Asian Games held in China. The national women’s team won the gold medal. This was a major achievement for her. The sport was her passion, and she gave everything on the court.

Career as a Police Officer

From 2007 to 2013, Kavita worked as a police officer. She managed both her job and her athletic training at the same time. This was a difficult period for her. She had to balance police duties with sports preparation. In 2013, at age 27, she decided to retire from playing. She had some injury issues that made it hard for her to continue competing. After retiring, she took a break from the sport to spend time with her family.

Return to the Sport as a Coach

In 2019, she returned to the sport, but now as a coach. Her family encouraged her to come back. They saw that she had a lot of knowledge about the game. She could teach others and help develop new players. This was the start of her coaching journey.

Coaching at SAI Gandhinagar

From 2020 to 2023, Kavita worked at the SAI Excellence Center in Gandhinagar. SAI stands for Sports Authority of India. This facility trains young sports players. Here, she coached young athletes. She taught them the skills and rules of the sport. Her work at SAI was very important for the development of the game.

During her time at this center, she became well known as a skilled coach. She knew how to teach players effectively. She also knew how to make them better at competition. Many young athletes learned from her at this facility.

Moving to Tamil Nadu

After 2023, Kavita took up a new position. She became an expert coach in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu is her home state. She wanted to help the sport grow in her region. She was the coach for Tamil Nadu’s women’s team. She guided them in different competitions and tournaments.

Chief Coach of the National Women’s Team

Her biggest role came when she became the chief coach of the national women’s team. This is the top coaching position in the sport. As chief coach, she trains the national squad. She picks the best players for big competitions. She plans the game strategies for the country. Earlier as a coach she led Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team to victory (Gold Medal) in Asian Games 2023.

The 6th Asian Championship 2024

In 2024, Kavita coached the national women’s team. The 6th Asian Championship was held in Iran. This was a major international event. Under her coaching, the team played very well. The squad won many matches. In the final match, the team competed against Iran. The country won with a score of 32-25. This was a great victory for the squad and for her.

She worked hard to prepare the athletes for this competition. She made sure all players were fit and ready. She taught them new tactics and strategies. Her coaching helped the country win the championship.

2nd Kabaddi World Cup

Kavita is now the coach for the 2nd Kabaddi World Cup. This is a major event where teams from many countries compete. As the coach, she will lead the national women’s team in this world competition. She will make all the big decisions about the squad. Her job is to make sure the country plays at its best in this world cup.

Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement

In 2023, she received the Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement. This is a very high honor in the country. The award is given to people who have done great work in athletics. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, presented her with this award on January 9, 2024. This award was a special moment for her. She felt very proud when she received it.

The Dhyan Chand Award recognizes her work as both a player and a coach. She won this award because of her service to the sport. She has helped the game grow significantly. She has trained many young athletes. Her coaching has brought medals to the country.

Category	Event/Position	Location/Details	Year	Description
Awards & Honours	Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement	India	2023	Lifetime Achievement Award – Recognizes work as player & coach
Awards & Honours	Presented by President of India	January 9, 2024 – Droupadi Murmu	2024	Awarded at National Sports Awards Ceremony
International – Player	2007 Asian Championship	Gold Medal	2007	Competed & Won Gold Medal
International – Player	2008 Asian Championship	Gold Medal	2008	Competed & Won Gold Medal
International – Player	2010 – 16th Asian Games	Gold Medal	2010	Competed & Won Gold Medal
Professional Experience	Police Officer – Balancing Career & Sport	2007-2013	2007-2013	Worked as Police Officer while maintaining sports training
International – Player	2009 South Asian Games	Gold Medal	2009	Competed & Won Gold Medal
Professional Experience	Retirement from Active Play	Age 27 – Due to Injuries	2013	Decided to retire from active competition
Professional Experience	Break from Sport	2013-2019	2013-2019	Took break to spend time with family
Professional Experience	Return to Sport as Coach	2019 Onwards	2019	Decided to return as a coach with family support
Coaching – SAI	SAI Excellence Center Gandhinagar	2020-2023	2020-2023	Worked at Sports Authority of India Excellence Center
Coaching – SAI	Coach for Young Athletes	Skills Training & Development	2020-2023	Trained young athletes in sport skills and techniques
Coaching – Tamil Nadu	Expert Coach – Tamil Nadu	Tamil Nadu	2023 Onwards	Took position in home state to develop game
Coaching – Tamil Nadu	Coach for Tamil Nadu Women’s Team	Various Competitions & Tournaments	2023 Onwards	Guided women’s team in competitions
Coaching – National Team	Chief Coach – Indian Women’s Team	Gold Medal	2023 Asian Games	Led team to championship victory
Coaching – National Team	Chief Coach – Indian Women’s Team	Current Position	Current	Top coaching position in the sport
Coaching – National Team	6th Asian Championship 2024 – Iran	Team Won 32-25 vs Iran in Final	2024	Led team to championship victory
Coaching – National Team	2nd Kabaddi World Cup	Current Role	Current	Leading team preparation for world event

Role in Women’s Game Growth

Kavita believes that women’s competition should be as popular as men’s competition. She has worked to make this happen. When she started playing, it was hard for girls to compete. People did not support women’s participation much at that time. But things have changed now.

Today, there is a women’s Pro League. This is a big event where women players earn money by competing. She has been part of making this happen. She attended trials to pick players for the women’s Pro League. She talked to people about the importance of women’s sports.

She has also worked to develop the game in Tamil Nadu. Many years ago, no one from the state was part of the national team. She wanted to change this situation. She worked hard to find young talent in the region. She trained them and helped them reach the national level.

Current Position and Responsibilities

Today, she holds the position of expert coach for the national women’s team. She leads the squad in all major competitions. She is also the coach for the 2nd Kabaddi World Cup. This is a big responsibility for her. She must make sure the team is ready for this world event.

Kavita also helps with player selection and development. She picks the best athletes for the national squad. She looks at their skills and their fitness. She decides who will play in important matches.

Besides coaching, she speaks about the sport at public events. She talks about how competition is growing. She tells people about the hard work that athletes do. She inspires young girls to take up sports.

Personal Life and Family

Kabaddi brought Kavita to where she is today. She is married and has a family. Her family has always supported her work. They encouraged her to come back to the sport as a coach. They know how much competition means to her.

She lives in Tamil Nadu with her loved ones. She spends time with them when she is not coaching. Her family is proud of her work in athletics.

Impact on the National Game

Kavita has made a big difference in the sport. As a player, she won many medals for her country. As a coach, she has won medals for the nation too. She has trained many young athletes who have become national champions.

She is a role model for many young girls in the country. She shows that girls can play at the highest level. She shows that girls can also become great coaches. Her story inspires others to follow their dreams in athletics.

She has also helped the game grow in Tamil Nadu significantly. The state now has many good players. Many of them learned from her. They now compete in national tournaments. Some of them have joined the national squad.

Social Media  

Kavita Selvaraj maintains a presence on Instagram under the handle @kavithaselvaraj622. While she is not a heavy social media user, her Instagram profile reflects her professional identity as a kabaddi player and coach. Her account serves primarily as a personal space rather than an official or promotional account for her coaching role with the Indian women’s kabaddi team.

On her Instagram profile, Kavita shares content related to her kabaddi career and personal moments. The posts on her account include updates about her coaching work, team celebrations, and achievements. Her followers get glimpses of her journey both as a professional athlete and as a coach. Additionally, her profile contains personal updates and family moments, showing a balance between her professional and personal life.

Kavita continues to work for the sport and her country. She is preparing the team for the 2nd Kabaddi World Cup. She is also helping to develop new young athletes. She wants to see more women compete at the highest level.

She believes that competition will keep growing in the coming years. She wants to be part of this growth. She wants to see the national women’s team win more medals at world events.

Her journey shows how hard work and passion can lead to success. She started as a young girl who loved the sport. She became a national champion. Then she became an expert coach. Her life is a lesson for all young athletes. It shows that if you work hard and never give up, you can reach any goal. She is a true champion of the sport.