Odisha State Bowling Association (OSBA) would field a 10-member squad in the Khelo India Youth Games 2020, which is scheduled to be held in Guwahati, Assam from 10 to 22 January, 2020. The squad, featuring five boys and five girls, would be accompanied by three coaches.

This was announced by OSBA president and former MP Ananga Udaya Singhdeo at a press conference in Kalinga Stadium here. ``We have been trying to promote lawn bowling in Odisha for the past two years. We are hopeful of our squad doing well in the KIY Games and make the state proud,’’ Singhdeo said.

OSBA secretary Sumit Ranjan Purohit along with executive committee members as well as eminent sports journalists Suresh Swain and Debi Prasanna Mohanty were present at the press conference.

OSBA felicitated national medallists Kailash Majhi and Areefa Begum on the occasion. According to secretary Purohit, the presence of Areefa in the squad has brightened the medal hope for Odisha.

ODISHA SQUAD: Akash Majhi, Jaga Mahakud, Chinmay Tripathy, Biswaraj Sahoo, Soumya Mohapatra, Sanjana Meher, Priyanka Kumbhar, Areefa Begum, Swetalina Buxi, Saina Nayak. Coaches: Sukanth Seth, Rasmita Purohit, Sumit Ranjan Purohit.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO (L-R): Debi Prasanna Mohanty, Kailash Majhi, A U Singhdeo, Areefa Begum, Sumit Ranjan Purohit and Suresh Swain at the press conference in Bhubaneswar on 3 January, 2020.