Odisha added yet another jewel to its crown in kho-kho by clinching the gold medal in the Khelo India Women National Kho Kho League for Juniors, held at Albert Ekka Kho-Kho Stadium in Hotwar, Ranchi (Jharkhand) from 16 to 19 January 2023.

Odisha junior women won the coveted crown with a 54-31 thumping victory in the final against formidable Maharashtra. The Odisha side received the trophy along with a cash award of Rs 2,75,000.

Odisha reached the final after defeating Delhi and Rajasthan at the league stage and Haryana in the semifinals. Archana Majhi was the captain of the team and Sanjeev Sharma the coach.

Khelo India Womens League, which are being held across multiple sports since 2021, is an initiative taken by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports to develop the overall sports ecosystem of the country and tap in the bst of women sports talents across States and give them a platform to compete in.

ODISHA JUNIOR WOMEN TEAM: Archana Majhi, Kadambini Majhi, Subhashree Singh, Monika Naik, Archana Pradhan, Ananya Pradhan, Lipi Naik, Madhusmita Sethi, Champa Majhi, Harapriya Bhuyan, Smaranika Sahoo, Kshanaprava Nayak. Coach: Sanjeev Sharma. Manager: Shantilata Pradhan.
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PHOTO: Players Odisha team pose with their gold medal and trophy after emerging champions in the Khelo India Women National Kho Kho League for Juniors in Ranchi on 19 January 2023.