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Odisha's pursuit for success at the ongoing 37th edition of the National Games in Goa continues to bear fruit as the contingent secured two more gold medals and a bronze medal.
In an emphatic victory, the Odisha Women's Football Team emerged victorious in the final match against Manipur to earn a well-deserved gold medal. Meanwhile, the Canoeing and Kayaking team secured a gold medal in the K2-W 500 mt event and a bronze medal in the C2-W 500 mt event as well. In men's Kho-kho, Odisha defeated Telangana, 50-18 to complete their second consecutive victory. Odisha's medal tally currently stands at 43 medals, including nine gold, eleven silver and twenty-three bronze medals. In a thrilling final match, Odisha took the lead through Pyari Xaxa (51') before Manipur found the equalizer in the second half. At full time both teams were tied with a 1-1 scoreline, however, in the ensuing tiebreaker, Odisha showed remarkable composure to win the shootout 4-2. In Canoeing and Kayaking, Fulmani Xaxa and Bidya Devi won the gold medal for Odisha in the K2-W 500 mt event while Sachima Karketta and Rasmita Sahoo were bronze winners at the C2-W 500 mt event. With the day's results, Odisha currently has four medals in Canoeing and Kayaking Interestingly, the success in football is a testament to the numerous measures Odisha has taken towards the promotion of Women's football across the state and nationally. Recently Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, inaugurated the Odisha Football Academy, the Bhubaneswar Football Academy, and Capital Arena Football. These centres, equipped with a total of six FIFA-certified pitches, including five natural and one synthetic football turf, LED flood lights, players' changing rooms, and several other top-notch amenities, provide aspiring footballers across genders with essential infrastructure for training. Bhubaneswar also hosted the Intercontinental Cup, where the victorious Blue Tigers underwent a month-long training camp. Furthermore, the city serves as the home base for the India U16 and U19 teams, regularly hosting their training camps. Odisha's collaboration with Odisha FC, encompassing both men's and women's teams, has fortified grassroots efforts. The teams enjoy the prestigious Kalinga Stadium as their home ground, provided completely free of cost, reinforcing Odisha's dedication to fostering football talent within the state and beyond. Odisha is also the only state in India with to two teams featuring in the IWL. (ANI)
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