Did you know that the State Government-owned Sports Odisha team came a cropper in the 3rd AIFF National Futsal Club Championship, getting eliminated at the league stage, losing in all four of their Group-A matches, which were played at Swarnim Gujarat Sports University in Vadodara, Gujarat between 22 June and 1 July 2024?

Sports Odisha scored seven goals and conceded 28 to finish at the bottom of the group table, which featured five teams. For reasons best known to the State Sports Department and the Football Association of Odisha, the ignominious exit of the Sports Odisha team was swept under the carpet to avoid criticism.

Sports Odisha also bowed out from the league stage in the 2023 edition of the championship which was held in New Delhi. Sports Odisha finished sixth in the seven-team Group A with two wins and four defeats. The Odisha team scored 20 goals and conceded 43.

But in the first edition, which was also held in New Delhi during November 2021, unfancied Mangala Club from Cuttack created history by reaching semifinals where they suffered a heart-breaking a 7-12 defeat against Delhi Football Club. Dinabandhu Das of Mangala Club became the second most goals of that edition with 17 goals to his name, including three hat-tricks.

SPORTS ODISHA TEAM: Goalkeepers: Shyama Hansda, Subrat Pradhan. Defenders: Ganesh Nayak, Alok Kumar Das, Belarsen Kanhar, Indra Oram, Jyotirmaya Gadtia. Mid-fielders: Suraj Naik, Prasanta Srihari, Abhinash Kishan, Dhaneswar Beshra. Forwards: Jagnath Tudu, Ronik Majhi, Chandra Mohan Purty.
Head Coach: Gangadhar Behera, Assistant Coach/Manager: Ajay Behera, Physio: Abhijit Patra.

SPORTS ODISHA RESULTS:

22 June 2024: Sports Odisha (Jagannath Tudu 37) lost to Classic Football Academy, Manipur (Chuingampou Kamei 3 goals, Ningthoujan Renedy Singh 2 goals, Yendrembam Rohit Singh, Yumnam Banty Singh, Paonam Govin Singh one goal each) 1-8.

27 June 2024: Sports Odisha lost to Corbett FC, Uttarakhand (Lalbiakzuala 3, 28, Jenishsinh Rana 17, 30, Shivam Yadav 33) 5-0.

28 June 2024: Sports Odisha (Alok Kumar Das 20, 33, 40, Prasanta Srihari 28) lost to Nyenshen FC, Nagaland (Lamsanggin Hangsing 8, 14, Chingthaipou 17, 25, Thulunso Yimchunger 30) 4-5.

1 July 2024: Sports Odisha (Prasanta Srihari 6, Belarsen Kanhar 37) lost to Millat FC, Mumbai (Danzel Fernandes 10, 23, Kamran Juned Siddique 14, 18, 32, Rishon Sam 19, Merick Fernandes 22, Sunny Koli 25, 26, Aburazeen Patel 37) 2-10.
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PHOTO: Members of Sports Odisha team for the AIFF National Futsal Club Championship 2023-24 pose at JN Indoor Stadium in Cuttack on 19 June 2024.