Association football is one of the three most-popular sports in India, the others being cricket and kabaddi. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) recognises the Indian Super League as the national football league of India. The Santosh Trophy is a knock-out competition among Indian states and government institutions.
The National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, due to ties with FIFA, also known as the FIFA Santosh Trophy, or simply Santosh Trophy, is an inter-state national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), the sport's governing body in India. Before the launch of the first national club league, the National Football League in 1996, the Santosh Trophy was considered the top domestic tournament in India. Many players who have represented India internationally have played in the Santosh Trophy. The tournament is held every year with eligible teams who are divided into zones, must play in the qualifying round and can progress into the tournament proper. The current champions are Karnataka, who won their title after 54 years during the 2022–23 edition. This was the first trophy for Karnataka, which had previously won four times as the princely state of Mysore, after 1968-69.
The Sub Junior National Football Championship, also known as Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy, is an Indian annual football tournament for under-16 teams representing states of India. The tournament was started in 1977 for boys under the age 15 years. The tournament was constituted at the Darjeeling meeting of the AIFF on 12 June 1976. AIFF donated the trophy in the memory of former President of Karnataka State Football Association, Mir Iqbal Hussain.
The Odisha football team, also earlier the Orissa football team, is an Indian football team representing the state of Odisha, India. The Football Association of Odisha, a state association of All India Football Federation, controls the team. The team competes in Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy. Prior to 2014, the team competed as the Orissa.
Cavalier Football Club is a Jamaican football club based in the community of Mountain View in Kingston, which currently plays in the Jamaica Premier League.
The Junior National Football Championship, also known as BC Roy Trophy, is an Indian football tournament held for players under 19 years of age. The participants in the annual competition are teams representing state associations of India under the All India Football Federation (AIFF). The tournament was instituted by the AIFF in 1962, with the Indian Football Association presenting the trophy in memory of former West Bengal Chief Minister Bidhan Chandra Roy.
The Odisha women's football team, also earlier the Orissa women's football team, is an Indian women's football team representing the state of Odisha, India. The Football Association of Odisha, a state association of All India Football Federation, manages the team. The team competes as a member of the All India Football Federation, in the Senior Women's National Football Championship, the topmost women's knock-out league of Indian football.
Sasmita Mallik is an Indian women's footballer who played as a left winger for India women's national football team. With 40 goals in 38 matches, she is the second highest all-time goalscorer for the Indian women's national team after Bala Devi.
Sports is an important part of the culture of Odisha and plays a key role in development of the state. Field hockey, athletics, association football, cricket, weightlifting, rugby union and rugby sevens are among the most popular sports in the Indian state of Odisha. Odisha is also known as the Sports Capital of India. The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack are among the major stadiums in the state.
Deep Grace Ekka is an Indian former field hockey player, who represented the India national field hockey team. She has been selected for Arjun award in 2022.
Namita Toppo is an Indian former field hockey player. She hails from Sundargarh District of Odisha. On 27 December 2020, she was conferred with the 28th Eklavya award. Toppo was honoured for her performance from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020 at both national and international levels.
Manisa Panna is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Odisha FC and the India women's national football team. She was part of the team at the 2015–16 AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. She previously played for Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women's League.
Sradhanjali Samantaray is an Indian football coach and former footballer. She has served as the head coach of Odisha Police and assistant coach of the Odisha women's football team. She is a former Indian international footballer and has served as the captain of the India women's national football team.
Rising Students Club is a professional multisports club based in Cuttack, Odisha, India. The club plays in the FAO League, the fourth tier of Indian football and top tier of Odisha state football. It played in the Indian Women's League, the top tier of Indian women's football, and currently participates in the Odisha Women's League. Rising Students Club were the champions of the Indian Women's League in the 2017–18 season.
The Odisha Women's League (OWL), also known as the FAO Women's League, is the women's top division football league of Odisha. The league is among the existing top tier women's football leagues in India. The league is organised every year by the apex football governing body of Odisha, the Football Association of Odisha (FAO), in association with the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) of the Government of Odisha. It is currently contested by 6 clubs across the state.
The 2019 FAO League was the tenth season of the FAO League, the top Odia professional football league, since its establishment in 2010. Sunrise Club were the defending champions whereas Bidanasi Club were relegated from the Diamond League last season and played in the Gold League in the 2019 edition. The FAO League is annually organised by the Football Association of Odisha (FAO), the official football governing body of Odisha, India. The regular season started on 24 July. Sunrise Club were the defending champions, ending up at the top with sixteen points having a positive goal difference of fifteen. Odisha Police ended their 2018 FAO League stage at the runners-up spot with sixteen points, having a positive goal difference of nine.
The Football Delhi is one of the 37 Indian state football associations that are affiliated to the All India Football Federation. It is the governing body of football-related sports in Delhi, India. The Delhi football team is also administered by Football Delhi. It sends state teams for Santosh Trophy and Senior Women's National Football Championship.
Alochana Senapati is an Indian former footballer who played as a defender.
Pinky Bompal Magar is an Indian former footballer who played as a forward. She was elected as a member of the technical committee of the All India Football Federation in September 2022.
Crispin Chettri is an Indian professional football manager and former footballer, who is currently the head coach of Indian Women's League club Odisha. He has also represented India at the youth level internationally.
