Hearts race to keep pace
Sports lovers brimmed with pride as Odia girls shone as part of the national women’s football team that won the South Asian Football Federation title. If that was not enough, Odia women rowers also won titles for the country. Other sporting events in the state kept the adrenaline rushing.
Big win The national women’s football team retained the South Asian Football Federation title at the championship that concluded in Sri Lanka on Sunday. The team that beat Nepal 3-1 in the finals consisted of four Odia girls — goalkeeper Sita Sharma, midfielders Supriya Routray and Lochana Munda and defender Alochana Senapati, along with two Odia coaches Md. Sahid Jabbar and goalkeeper coach Ranjita Mohanty. Though Nepal was leading 1-0, Supriya scored soon followed by two more goals by her teammates. The victorious girls and coaches returned home on Monday. They were felicitated and the Football Association of Odisha also announced Rs 10,000 for each of the six Odia members of the team. Also, Bhubaneswar is hosting the J.K. Mohapatra women’s football league on the Unit-VI High School ground. The tournament began from Tuesday and will conclude on September 27. Four teams — East Coast Railway, Neeta Ambani Football Academy, State Sports Directorate and Unit-IX girls’ High School teams — will take part in the event.
Row after row Woman rowers of Odisha displayed their flair at the 18th Junior Asian Championship at Nanchang in China, where they recently won a silver in the coxless four event. The Odia rowers team, including Amusuna Devi, Manjula Xess, Asmita Kujur and Sanjukta Dung Dung, came second in this 2000-metre event. The Odia rowers, who hail from the SAI Watersports Centre at Jagatpur, Cuttack, and are groomed by well-known coach Jose Jacob, were a part of a 15-member Indian squad.
Basket case The State Youth Basketball Championship will begin this week in Cuttack. More than 50 players from all over the state will take part in the championship to be hosted by the Odisha Basketball Association. The championship will include separate events for boys and girls. The tournament will be on from September 20 to 23 in the Millennium City.
Cricket academy The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) is set to open the Zonal Cricket Academy (ZCA) of south zone at Berhampur Stadium after Zonal Cricket Academy (west zone) of the OCA was inaugurated at Veer Surendra Sai Stadium in Sambalpur last month. OCA intends to prepare a multi-purpose sports field in Berhampur Stadium with help of the Ganjam District Cricket Association.
League of champs The Football Association of Odisha (FAO) First Division League is on at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. A few of the super league matches were played recently between Morning Club and Radha Raman Club, Rising Student Club and East Coast Railway, Morning Club and East Coast Railway and Rising Students and Sports hostel. Also, Radha Gobinda Club played Odisha Police and Rising Star Club played Sunrise Club. The FAO Second Division Football league also commenced last week in Cuttack on Bidanasi Ground in the city.
