Odisha, formerly Orissa, is a state located in Eastern India. It is the eighth-largest state by area, and the eleventh-largest by population, with over 41 million inhabitants. The state also has the third-largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. It neighbours the states of Jharkhand and West Bengal to the north, Chhattisgarh to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the south. Odisha has a coastline of 485 kilometres (301 mi) along the Bay of Bengal in the Indian Ocean. The region is also known as Utkaḷa and is mentioned by this name in India's national anthem, Jana Gana Mana. The language of Odisha is Odia, which is one of the Classical languages of India.
Association football is one of the most popular sports in India. The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the first FIFA event the country hosted. It was called the most successful FIFA U-17 World Cup ever, with a record-breaking attendance of 1,347,133, exceeding China's record of 1,230,976 from 1985. India also hosted the 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup and bid to host the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Bhubaneswar is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Odisha. It is located in the Khordha district. The suburban region, especially the old town, was historically often depicted as Chakra Khetra and Ekamra Khetra. Bhubaneswar is dubbed the "Temple City", a nickname earned because of many temples which are standing there. In contemporary times, the city is a hub of sports, tourism and IT in the country.
Dilip Tirkey, is a former captain of the Indian field hockey team, politician and sports administrator. He was awarded Padma Shree in 2004. Currently he is the president of Hockey India.
Indian Arrows was an Indian developmental football team that competed in the I-League. The club was formed by the All India Football Federation in 2010, with a main goal of nurturing young Indian football talents.
The Odisha football team, also earlier the Orissa football team, is a 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.
Odisha Football Club ( ) is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded as Delhi Dynamos Football Club. In 2019, prior to the 2019–20 Indian Super League season, the club rebranded to Odisha Football Club, and relocated to its current base, the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
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.
The 2017 Asian Athletics Championships was the 22nd edition of the Asian Athletics Championships. It was held from 6 to 9 July 2017 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, India. Bhubaneswar was the third Indian city to host Asian Championships. Around 560 athletes from 41 countries attended the event.
The 2020 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, later postponed and renamed as the 2021 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup before its cancellation, was originally going to be the 7th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the biennial international women's youth football championship contested by the under-17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 2008.
The 2019 Gold Cup was a 4-team association football tournament held at the Kalinga Stadium in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar between 9 and 15 February 2019. The tournament was being organized by the All India Football Federation in association with Government of Odisha, as part of the senior women's team's preparation for AFC 2020 Olympic Qualification - Second Round.
The 2019–20 Indian Super League season was the sixth season of the Indian Super League, one of the top Indian professional football leagues. The regular season began on 20 October 2019 and concluded on 14 March 2020.
Isak Vanlalruatfela is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Indian Super League club Odisha.
The 2022 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup was the 7th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, the multinational–international women's youth football championship, contested by the under-17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA, since its inception in 2008. The tournament was hosted by India, which would have hosted the 2020 edition before it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the second time that India have been hosting a FIFA tournament, after the men's 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup, and the first time that India hosting a FIFA women's football tournament.
Kalinga Cup is an annual Indian association football tournament held in Odisha. It is organised by Football Association of Odisha and Department of Sports and Youth of Government of Odisha. The tournament was first introduced in 1962 by former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre (ONTH-HPC) is a professional field hockey institute located at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. It was launched on 13 August 2019 after Government of Odisha, Tata Steel & Tata Trusts joined hands to initiate a three-pronged program under the HPC banner of Government of Odisha. It is one of the 11 HPCs at the Kalinga Stadium which have been set up under the governance of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Commissioner Cum Secy Sports Shri Vineel Krishna, who have been very influential in development of sports in the state.
Odisha Football Club Women ( ) is an Indian professional women's football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Women's League, the top flight of Indian women's football. Odisha FC Women were founded in 2022, when the Indian Super League side Odisha FC announced the formation of their women's side.
The 2023 Intercontinental Cup was the third edition of the Intercontinental Cup, a four-nation football tournament held at the Kalinga Stadium, in the Indian city of Bhubaneswar between the 9 to 18 June 2023. The tournament was organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). North Korea won the previous edition by a 1–0 victory over Tajikistan in the final in 2019. India became the champion of this edition after defeating Lebanon by 2–0 in the final. With two goals each, Lallianzuala Chhangte and Sunil Chhetri of India were joint-top scorers of the tournament. Sandesh Jhingan of India was awarded best player of the tournament.
The 2022–23 Santosh Trophy was the 76th edition of the Santosh Trophy, the premier competition in India for senior men's football teams representing their respective states/union territories and government institutions.
