Football Association of Odisha today announced a 22-member State team for the group stage of the 29th Senior Women National Football Championship, which is already underway in different states from 5 October 2024. Placed in four-team Group F, Odisha will play their opening match against Ladakh at RDT Stadium in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh on October 19.

Odisha will play their other two league matches against Arunachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh at the same venue on October 21 and 23 respectively. Out of a total of 33 participating teams, 31 will play at the league stage in eight groups, while defending champions Manipur and runners-up Haryana will the play final round directly.

The Final Round will feature two groups of five teams each and the top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals. Tamil Nadu, Railways, Punjab and Mahararashtra have already qualified for the final round.

The first edition of the Senior Women National Football Championship was held in Manipur in 1992. Manipur have been the most dominant side in the history of the championship, winning the title 22 out of the 28 times so far.

West Bengal and Tamil Nadu have won two titles each, while Odisha and Railways have been champions once each. Odisha won their only title in 2011, trouncing West Bengal 5-0 in the final in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. Odisha has finished runners-up five times (2002, 2008, 2010, 2019) so far.

ODISHA SENIOR WOMEN FOOTBALL TEAM:

Goalkeepers: Susmita Pun (Puri), Manju Ganjhu (Odisha Police).
Defenders: Ranee Bag (Sambalpur), Prangya Kishan (Sundargarh), Ambruta Nayak (Keonjhar), Sulekha Kanhar (Bhubaneswar), Subasini Saha, Shibani Mundari (both Govt Sports Hostel), Sradhanjali Panda (Nita Football Academy).
Mid-fielders: Priyasa Sarkar (Nita Football Academy), Janhabi Kishan (Sundargarh), Ipshita Rout (Bhadrak), Munika Minz, Deepa Nayak (both Odisha Police).
Forwards: Laxmipriya Lenka (Cuttack), Subhadra Sahoo, Satyabati Khadia, Malati Munda, Manisha Naik, Pyari Xaxa (all Odisha Police), Pratima Oram, Rupashree Munda (both Govt Sports Hostel).
Team Staff: Gitanjali Khuntia (Head Coach), Gayatri Mallick (Assistant Coach & Manager), Lopamudra Maharaj (Physiotherapist).