Match action during the Odisha Inter-District Club Championship. (Photo courtesy: Football Association of Odisha)
The Football Association of Odisha (FAO), in association with the Sports and Youth Services Department – Government of Odisha, has organised an Inter-District Club Championship which was contested between 27 teams of different districts of Odisha. The purpose of the championship was solely to scout and select the best possible talents for the upcoming Santosh Trophy 2021-22 which is going to be held at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
A total of 48 players were selected in order to attend the preparatory cum trial camp jointly organised by the Football Association of Odisha and the Sports and Youth Services Department. The camp will go on for more than one and a half months to groom the players to show their full potential. In order to make the players match ready the Odisha State Team will play three practice matches. All the matches will be played at the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
Practise Matches
November 11, 2021: Sikkim vs Odisha
November 13, 2021: Arrows vs Odisha
November 16, 2021: Sikkim vs Odisha
Former Chennaiyin FC assistant coach Salim Pathan will be the head coach of the Odisha State Team. Pathan is an AFC “A” License Coach who has served Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) and coached various teams at state level.
Shri. Asirbad Behera, Hony. Secretary, Football Association of Odisha, expressed his thanks and gratitude to Honb’le Chief Minister Shri Naveen Pattnaik for his visionary contribution towards the development of football in the State of Odisha. Behera also lauded Honb’le State Minister of Sports Tusharkanti Behera “for taking his vision forward and making things possible”, besides stating his “sincere thanks to Shri. R. Vineel Krishna I.A.S (Commissioner cum Secretary Sports & Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha) for providing us help in every possible way to take Odisha football to a whole new level. It can be noted that Odisha Football will only grow in an upward path.”
Odisha State Team – Santosh Trophy Fixtures
December 1, 2021: Odisha Vs Bihar(1st December 2021)
December 3, 2021: Bihar Vs Jharkhand(3rd December 2021)
December 5, 2021: Odisha Vs Jharkhand(5th December 2021)
All the matches will kick off at 2:30PM.