The sports culture in Odisha is as vibrant and diverse as its rich heritage. From traditional games to globally recognised sports, the state has produced athletes who have made significant contributions on both national and international stages. This article highlights key sports in Odisha, showcases notable athletes, and explores the state’s impact on the sports world.
Football
Football is one of the most popular games in the world. Many athletes, even those in other sports, have a connection to football. They also play football to increase their fitness. Due to its high popularity, football is widely played in rural areas as well. The game also enjoys the largest viewership among all sports.
While the exact origins of football are unclear, it is believed to have first been played in China. The modern form of the sport as we know it began in England.
The modern form of football began to take shape in England during the 19th century. By this time, various forms of football were played in public schools, each with its own set of rules. In 1863, the need for standardised rules led to the formation of the Football Association (FA), which established the first official rules of the game.
Currently, many tournaments are organized for football. However, the FA Cup (Football Association Challenge Cup) is the oldest football tournament. The tournament was first played during the 1871-72 season. In India, the oldest football tournament is the Durand Cup, established in 1888.
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Odisha has had considerable success in football, particularly in the women’s category. The Odisha women’s team has won several national championships, including the most recent 37th National Games in Goa against Manipur. Including the recent win in Goa, the women’s team has won three gold medals in total. Earlier, the team had won the 2007 and 2011 national championships. The team has also won silver in the 2015 and 2022 games and bronze in the 2002 games.
Prominent players like Sradhanjali Samantaray, Ranjita Mohanty, Pinky Bompal Magar, Sasmita Mallik, Alochana Senapati, Gitanjali Khuntia, and Gayatri Mallick, including others such as Manisa Panna, Pyari Xaxa, and Jabamani Tudu, among others, have made significant contributions to Indian football.
Odisha FC, representing the state in the Indian Super League (ISL), is currently based in Bhubaneswar, where the Kalinga Stadium serves as their home ground. This stadium hosted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup matches in 2022. Earlier, Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium hosted major football events in the state.
Swimming
Aquatics or swimming is an Olympic sport. It includes five events in the Olympics: swimming, artistic swimming, marathon swimming, water polo and diving. The sport was included for the first time in the 1896 Olympics, held in Athens, where competitions were conducted in open water.
Later, the event was organised in the Seine River during the 1900 Paris Olympics. In 1904, this event was held in a small lake in St. Louis. The London Olympics in 1908 saw the first use of a swimming pool. Women first participated in swimming in 1912.
Artistic swimming, a sport with strong artistic elements, became popular in the 1930s and was included in the Olympics for the first time in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Initially, only women participated in this event, but in 2024, men also competed for the first time. Marathon swimming is a 10 km event that was included in the Olympics in 2008, and it is usually held outdoors.
Water polo is the only team event in aquatics. It was first included in the Olympics in 1900.
Diving, another event in aquatics, was introduced in the 1904 Olympics. The 10-meter springboard, 3-meter springboard, and synchronized diving events for both men and women are included in it.
At the senior level, although Odisha swimmers have not made a significant impact nationally or internationally, there is hope for a bright future for junior athletes like Pratyasa Ray, Mannata Mishra, Shristi Upadhyay and Sonia Patel. The Odisha women’s team, consisting of these athletes, won a silver medal in the relay event at the National Games held in Goa.
The Kalinga Stadium complex now has a world-class indoor aquatic centre, which hosted the 39th Sub-Junior and 49th National Junior Aquatic Championships successfully in August 2023. Apart from this, there are advanced facilities for this sport in other parts of the state, including at KIIT and in Sambalpur.
Athletics
Athletics includes a variety of events such as sprints, long-distance running, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, shot put, discus throw and pole vault. Athletics has been part of the Olympics since 1896. Although there were fewer events in the beginning, their number has gradually increased. In 1896, there were only 12 events, but by the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the number had reached 48. The Paris Games also featured the same 48 events, with 24 for men, 23 for women and one mixed-team event.
Some events that were part of the Olympics have been discontinued, while new events have been added. Events such as the 60-meter dash, 200-meter hurdles, and several steeplechase events (2500m, 2590m, 3200m, and 4000m) have been removed, along with the 3000-meter and 5000-meter team races. Additionally, several rules have been changed in events like long jump, high jump and javelin throw.
Many athletes from Odisha have made their mark at the national and international levels. Athletes like Rachita Mistry, Anuradha Biswal, Dutee Chand, and Amiya Kumar Mallick have earned the honour of setting national records in their respective events. Others, like Pranati Mishra and Srabani Nanda, have also left a significant impact. On the international javelin throw scene, Kishore Kumar Jena has become a memorable name. Whether in championships or the Asian Games, Kishore has proven himself capable of competing against heavyweight athletes from across the world.
Earlier, athletics events in Odisha were held at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. However, with the availability of world-class facilities at the Kalinga Stadium, it has become possible to host international competitions in Bhubaneswar. In 2017, Odisha successfully organised the Asian Athletics Championships, showcasing the state’s capability to host such prestigious events.
Tennis
Tennis is one of the most popular racket sports globally. Events in this sport are played in categories like Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. From 1896 to 1924, tennis was part of the Summer Olympic program. Although it was a demonstration sport at the 1968 and 1984 Olympics, it has been a permanent fixture in the Summer Olympic program since 1988. Four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) are held annually in this sport.
Thanks to the efforts of the Odisha government, tennis has seen significant growth in the state. The Kalinga Stadium now boasts international-standard tennis courts. Many talented players from Odisha are preparing to compete at national and international levels.
Some prominent players from Odisha include Chinmay Pradhan, Kabir Hans, Rutuparna Choudhury, Debasis Sahoo and Sohini Sanjay Mohanty, among others. Debasis has made the state proud by playing in the Davis Cup.
Kabaddi
Kabaddi originated in India and became a popular sport in the subcontinent during ancient times. It is a contact sport played between two teams. Although each team has 12 members, only 7 players from each side are allowed on the field at a time.
Kabaddi is recognised as the national sport of Bangladesh. In India, the sport is especially popular in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh.
In some regions, Kabaddi is known by different names: in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it’s called ‘Chedugudu’; in West Bengal and Bangladesh, it’s known as ‘Ha-du-du’; in the Maldives, it’s called ‘Baibalaa’; in Nepal, it’s referred to as ‘Kapardi’; in Sri Lanka, it’s known as ‘Chakgudu’; and in South India, it’s popularly called “Ha-du-du.”
In 2014, India launched the men’s professional Kabaddi league, known as the Pro Kabaddi League. This has increased interest in the sport. In Odisha, the game’s popularity has also grown.
The Khanditar Kabaddi Tournament in Jajpur has been held since 1956. Many teams from outside the state participate in this event. Besides India, countries like Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Thailand, Argentina, Germany, Iran, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, and Italy have also embraced Kabaddi.
Weightlifting
Weightlifting is a very old sport in which athletes demonstrate their strength, power, and technique by lifting weights with the help of a barbell. It was historically practised as a form of entertainment in ancient Egypt and Greece. The sport includes events such as the snatch and the clean and jerk.
In the snatch, the lifter must lift the barbell directly overhead in one continuous motion. In the clean and jerk, the lifter first raises the barbell to the chest before lifting it overhead.
From the beginning, countries like Austria, Germany and France have expanded their dominance in weightlifting, and the Soviet Union also made significant progress from 1950 to 1990.
However, other nations like China, Turkey, Iran, and Greece have produced powerful women athletes.
With the exception of the 1900, 1908 and 1912 Olympics, men’s weightlifting has been a part of every Olympic Games. Women’s weightlifting began in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Since 2000, every edition of the Games has featured weight classes with 8 weight categories for men and 7 for women.
In Odisha, weightlifting has gained prominence thanks to prominent lifters like Bijay Kumar Satpathy. He was conferred with the Arjuna Award in 1981–82 by the Government of India.
K Ravi Kumar won a gold medal with a record at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Other notable lifters from the state include Jhilli Dalabehera and Sneha Soren, who have achieved success at national and international levels.
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport where athletes demonstrate flexibility and skill. It is primarily divided into three categories: artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics and trampoline.
Artistic gymnastics is the most well-known and popular among spectators. Simone Biles is recognised as one of the most successful gymnasts globally.
In India, Dipa Karmakar achieved notable success by securing a place in the finals at the Rio Olympics.
In Odisha, gymnastics has been growing in popularity, with athletes achieving recognition at the national level. Notably, Pranati Nayak has been an outstanding gymnast, earning five medals (four gold and one silver) at the National Games in Goa.
Tapan Mohanty and Rakesh Kumar Patra are also among the leading gymnasts from the state.
Odisha’s sports scene is steadily evolving, marked by the achievements of its athletes and the development of modern facilities. As the state invests in its sporting infrastructure and nurtures emerging talent, the prospects for future success look promising. Odisha is on the path to making a stronger mark in the world of sports.
PNN