Sports in Odisha | Odisha State PSC (OPSC): Preparation - OPSC OCS (Odisha) PDF Download

 Page 1


CHAPTER27
Sports in the state of Odisha has always occupied a prominent
position. People play a number of local games and also play
organised sports such as cricket, football, hockey, etc.
Sportspersons from Odisha have received many awards in
different sports.
The Government of Odisha ensure to provide every possible facility to the youth
and develop their interest in sports activities. There are many people from the state
who got national fame in sports like Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey and Rachita Mistri
Panda, who have won Olympic medals for India. The people of Odisha have craze
for sports and their liking for games have now changed a lot. New famous games
have taken the place of age old traditional games.
Sports Scenario in Odisha
Sports is an important part of the Odisha culture. The most popular sports of the
state are athletics, field hockey, tennis, football, rugby, canoeing, boating, wrestling,
etc. Besides these, there are other traditional games in the state such as puchi,
khapura dian, rassi tana (rope pulling), gilli danda, hatbika, etc.
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is also known as the Sports Capital of India as
it has world class infrastructure for various sporting events. The sporting events in
the state are organised by the sports and youth services of the Government of
Odisha.
Major Sports in Odisha
Some of the famoussportswhich are playedin Odisha are asfollows:
Athletics
It is one of the major sports in Odisha. These sports consist of different games like
running, sprinting, hurdling, etc. The state has produced one of the finest athletes
who got the fame at both national and international level. For example, Anuradha
Biswal, Dutee Chand, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Jauna Murmu, Shabani Nanda and
Budhia Singh. The Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar) organised the 22nd edition of
the Asian Athletics Championship 2017.
Page 2


CHAPTER27
Sports in the state of Odisha has always occupied a prominent
position. People play a number of local games and also play
organised sports such as cricket, football, hockey, etc.
Sportspersons from Odisha have received many awards in
different sports.
The Government of Odisha ensure to provide every possible facility to the youth
and develop their interest in sports activities. There are many people from the state
who got national fame in sports like Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey and Rachita Mistri
Panda, who have won Olympic medals for India. The people of Odisha have craze
for sports and their liking for games have now changed a lot. New famous games
have taken the place of age old traditional games.
Sports Scenario in Odisha
Sports is an important part of the Odisha culture. The most popular sports of the
state are athletics, field hockey, tennis, football, rugby, canoeing, boating, wrestling,
etc. Besides these, there are other traditional games in the state such as puchi,
khapura dian, rassi tana (rope pulling), gilli danda, hatbika, etc.
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is also known as the Sports Capital of India as
it has world class infrastructure for various sporting events. The sporting events in
the state are organised by the sports and youth services of the Government of
Odisha.
Major Sports in Odisha
Some of the famoussportswhich are playedin Odisha are asfollows:
Athletics
It is one of the major sports in Odisha. These sports consist of different games like
running, sprinting, hurdling, etc. The state has produced one of the finest athletes
who got the fame at both national and international level. For example, Anuradha
Biswal, Dutee Chand, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Jauna Murmu, Shabani Nanda and
Budhia Singh. The Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar) organised the 22nd edition of
the Asian Athletics Championship 2017.
Canoeing and Boating
The state of Odisha offers superb
facilities for water sports due to long
coastline such as peddle boat,
parasailing, jet ski, canoeing and
boating.
Places like Dhabaleswar (Cuttack) and
Barkul (Khordha) are highly visited by
tourists for such adventurous activities.
Football
It is one of the major sports in Odisha.
Football sport is administered by the
Football Association of Odisha (FAO).
The Odisha Women’s Football Team
provided many players to the India
Women’s National Football team.
The state also has Odisha men’s football
team. Important football players from
Odisha are Susmita Malik, Rakesh
Oram, Supriya Routray, Manisha Panna,
Proloy Shah, etc.
Field Hockey
It is the most popular sport of Odisha.
The Odisha Government has become
the first Government in India which has
sponsored a national team of this sport.
Odia Hockey Team is the state’s field
hockey team.
Its home grounds are Biju Patnaik
Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The Hockey Odisha team has provided
many renowned players to Indian Men’s
National Field Hockey Team and India
Women’s National Field Hockey Team.
Important players are Anupa Barla,
Binita Toppo, Birendra Lakra, Dilip
Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Prabodh
Tirkey, etc.
Hockey World Cup 2018
The 14th Hockey World Cup was held in
the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha from
28th November to 16th December, 2018.
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar hosted
the inaugration ceremony that witnessed
the biggest drone flying show in India.
Organising this tournament was a huge
opportunity for Odisha to celebrate the
sport of Hockey. This is the third time,
India has hosted the tournament. Other
hosts were Bombay (1982) and New Delhi
(2010). The tournament was won by
Belgium while India reached till the
quarter finals.
Rugby
It is another major sports of Odisha.
Rugby Football is administered by the
Odisha Rugby Football Association.
Odisha has many Rugby teams like
Odisha Women’s Rugby Union teams,
Odisha Women’s Rugby seven teams
and Odisha Men’s Rugby seven teams.
The state has hosted the Asia Rugby
Women’s Championship which played
from 26th to 28th October, 2018.
Trekking
Odisha is an ideal place for trekkers and
mountain lovers. One can trek-up to a
height of about 1600 m. Some of the
best trekking routes in Odisha are
Gandhamardan Trek, Mahendragiri
Trek and Nilagiri Trek. The time period
between October-January is the ideal
time for trekking in Odisha.
Wrestling
It is considered as one of the most
ancient and oldest sports and has
glorious past. The state participates in
many tournaments at National Level,
e.g. in the ‘National Arm Wrestling
308 Know Your State ODISHA
Page 3


CHAPTER27
Sports in the state of Odisha has always occupied a prominent
position. People play a number of local games and also play
organised sports such as cricket, football, hockey, etc.
Sportspersons from Odisha have received many awards in
different sports.
The Government of Odisha ensure to provide every possible facility to the youth
and develop their interest in sports activities. There are many people from the state
who got national fame in sports like Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey and Rachita Mistri
Panda, who have won Olympic medals for India. The people of Odisha have craze
for sports and their liking for games have now changed a lot. New famous games
have taken the place of age old traditional games.
Sports Scenario in Odisha
Sports is an important part of the Odisha culture. The most popular sports of the
state are athletics, field hockey, tennis, football, rugby, canoeing, boating, wrestling,
etc. Besides these, there are other traditional games in the state such as puchi,
khapura dian, rassi tana (rope pulling), gilli danda, hatbika, etc.
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is also known as the Sports Capital of India as
it has world class infrastructure for various sporting events. The sporting events in
the state are organised by the sports and youth services of the Government of
Odisha.
Major Sports in Odisha
Some of the famoussportswhich are playedin Odisha are asfollows:
Athletics
It is one of the major sports in Odisha. These sports consist of different games like
running, sprinting, hurdling, etc. The state has produced one of the finest athletes
who got the fame at both national and international level. For example, Anuradha
Biswal, Dutee Chand, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Jauna Murmu, Shabani Nanda and
Budhia Singh. The Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar) organised the 22nd edition of
the Asian Athletics Championship 2017.
Canoeing and Boating
The state of Odisha offers superb
facilities for water sports due to long
coastline such as peddle boat,
parasailing, jet ski, canoeing and
boating.
Places like Dhabaleswar (Cuttack) and
Barkul (Khordha) are highly visited by
tourists for such adventurous activities.
Football
It is one of the major sports in Odisha.
Football sport is administered by the
Football Association of Odisha (FAO).
The Odisha Women’s Football Team
provided many players to the India
Women’s National Football team.
The state also has Odisha men’s football
team. Important football players from
Odisha are Susmita Malik, Rakesh
Oram, Supriya Routray, Manisha Panna,
Proloy Shah, etc.
Field Hockey
It is the most popular sport of Odisha.
The Odisha Government has become
the first Government in India which has
sponsored a national team of this sport.
Odia Hockey Team is the state’s field
hockey team.
Its home grounds are Biju Patnaik
Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The Hockey Odisha team has provided
many renowned players to Indian Men’s
National Field Hockey Team and India
Women’s National Field Hockey Team.
Important players are Anupa Barla,
Binita Toppo, Birendra Lakra, Dilip
Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Prabodh
Tirkey, etc.
Hockey World Cup 2018
The 14th Hockey World Cup was held in
the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha from
28th November to 16th December, 2018.
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar hosted
the inaugration ceremony that witnessed
the biggest drone flying show in India.
Organising this tournament was a huge
opportunity for Odisha to celebrate the
sport of Hockey. This is the third time,
India has hosted the tournament. Other
hosts were Bombay (1982) and New Delhi
(2010). The tournament was won by
Belgium while India reached till the
quarter finals.
Rugby
It is another major sports of Odisha.
Rugby Football is administered by the
Odisha Rugby Football Association.
Odisha has many Rugby teams like
Odisha Women’s Rugby Union teams,
Odisha Women’s Rugby seven teams
and Odisha Men’s Rugby seven teams.
The state has hosted the Asia Rugby
Women’s Championship which played
from 26th to 28th October, 2018.
Trekking
Odisha is an ideal place for trekkers and
mountain lovers. One can trek-up to a
height of about 1600 m. Some of the
best trekking routes in Odisha are
Gandhamardan Trek, Mahendragiri
Trek and Nilagiri Trek. The time period
between October-January is the ideal
time for trekking in Odisha.
Wrestling
It is considered as one of the most
ancient and oldest sports and has
glorious past. The state participates in
many tournaments at National Level,
e.g. in the ‘National Arm Wrestling
308 Know Your State ODISHA Sports in Odisha 309
Tournament’ (2015) Odisha won 10
medals. Prominent wrestlers of the state
are Gautam Kumar Kahali, Chandra
Behera, Sambit Nanda, etc.
Traditional Sports in
Odisha
Kabaddi It is counted among the most
common and widely played traditional
sports. It is the game where one person
plays against seven people.
Kho Kho It is one of India’s very famous
traditional game. This game is very
popular in Odisha.
It is also known as ‘Standing Game’.
This is the sport where players chase and
try to touch a person. Odisha Kho Kho
Association is the governing body of
Kho Kho in Odisha.
Rassi Tana (Rope Pulling) It is a
traditional game of Odisha. It is a
contest of strength in which two teams
tug on opposite ends of a rope, each
trying to pull the other across a dividing
line.
Nadia Phinga (Coconut Throwing) This
is a traditional game of Odisha. This is a
game of throwing coconuts on land or
even in water. One whose coconut covers
the longest distance, is the one who
wins.
Khapara Dian This is a traditional game
of Odisha. In this game, one has to jump
with one leg and perform various tasks.
Puchi It is another traditional game of
Odisha which is a game dance of the
state. It is played both in sitting and
standing positions. Usually, this sport is
played by young girls during moonlight
nights of Hindu month of Ashwin.
Sword Fighting This is another
traditional sport of the state. A sword
fight is a battle between two-people,
each with a sword and the goal is to
defeat the opponent as fast as one can.
A sword fight can be in sport, battle or
fun.
Paen Anba (Bringing Water) This
traditional game is performed by both
boys and girls of 5 to 8 years age group.
It visualises the culinary tradition of
Western Odisha.
In this game, participants take water
from pond or river and prepare different
traditional food items symbolically.
Machhasare Ghina It is a traditional
game of Odisha. It represents the selling
of fish by fisher women moving around
the Para (settlements).
Gedi It is a traditional game of Odisha.
It is played by all adolescent, young and
middle-aged. It is a totally ritual based
game.
Performance of this game started from
Ratha Yatra, the second day of bright
fortnight of Ashadh and continues till
new moon of Bhadrapad.
Ganthi Ganana It is a game performed
during wedding ceremony by Kharial
tribes of Sundargarh district.
In this game, one of the Sians (senior
and respectable person) asks everybody
to tell the name of the nine-node of
bamboo stick, which represents the
names of their Gotra (lineage).
Surfing Some of the beaches of Odisha
offer adequate facilities for surfing like
Puri beache, Gopalpur-on-Sea,
Chandipur beach, etc. It is an
adventurous and recreational activity.
Page 4


CHAPTER27
Sports in the state of Odisha has always occupied a prominent
position. People play a number of local games and also play
organised sports such as cricket, football, hockey, etc.
Sportspersons from Odisha have received many awards in
different sports.
The Government of Odisha ensure to provide every possible facility to the youth
and develop their interest in sports activities. There are many people from the state
who got national fame in sports like Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey and Rachita Mistri
Panda, who have won Olympic medals for India. The people of Odisha have craze
for sports and their liking for games have now changed a lot. New famous games
have taken the place of age old traditional games.
Sports Scenario in Odisha
Sports is an important part of the Odisha culture. The most popular sports of the
state are athletics, field hockey, tennis, football, rugby, canoeing, boating, wrestling,
etc. Besides these, there are other traditional games in the state such as puchi,
khapura dian, rassi tana (rope pulling), gilli danda, hatbika, etc.
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is also known as the Sports Capital of India as
it has world class infrastructure for various sporting events. The sporting events in
the state are organised by the sports and youth services of the Government of
Odisha.
Major Sports in Odisha
Some of the famoussportswhich are playedin Odisha are asfollows:
Athletics
It is one of the major sports in Odisha. These sports consist of different games like
running, sprinting, hurdling, etc. The state has produced one of the finest athletes
who got the fame at both national and international level. For example, Anuradha
Biswal, Dutee Chand, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Jauna Murmu, Shabani Nanda and
Budhia Singh. The Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar) organised the 22nd edition of
the Asian Athletics Championship 2017.
Canoeing and Boating
The state of Odisha offers superb
facilities for water sports due to long
coastline such as peddle boat,
parasailing, jet ski, canoeing and
boating.
Places like Dhabaleswar (Cuttack) and
Barkul (Khordha) are highly visited by
tourists for such adventurous activities.
Football
It is one of the major sports in Odisha.
Football sport is administered by the
Football Association of Odisha (FAO).
The Odisha Women’s Football Team
provided many players to the India
Women’s National Football team.
The state also has Odisha men’s football
team. Important football players from
Odisha are Susmita Malik, Rakesh
Oram, Supriya Routray, Manisha Panna,
Proloy Shah, etc.
Field Hockey
It is the most popular sport of Odisha.
The Odisha Government has become
the first Government in India which has
sponsored a national team of this sport.
Odia Hockey Team is the state’s field
hockey team.
Its home grounds are Biju Patnaik
Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The Hockey Odisha team has provided
many renowned players to Indian Men’s
National Field Hockey Team and India
Women’s National Field Hockey Team.
Important players are Anupa Barla,
Binita Toppo, Birendra Lakra, Dilip
Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Prabodh
Tirkey, etc.
Hockey World Cup 2018
The 14th Hockey World Cup was held in
the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha from
28th November to 16th December, 2018.
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar hosted
the inaugration ceremony that witnessed
the biggest drone flying show in India.
Organising this tournament was a huge
opportunity for Odisha to celebrate the
sport of Hockey. This is the third time,
India has hosted the tournament. Other
hosts were Bombay (1982) and New Delhi
(2010). The tournament was won by
Belgium while India reached till the
quarter finals.
Rugby
It is another major sports of Odisha.
Rugby Football is administered by the
Odisha Rugby Football Association.
Odisha has many Rugby teams like
Odisha Women’s Rugby Union teams,
Odisha Women’s Rugby seven teams
and Odisha Men’s Rugby seven teams.
The state has hosted the Asia Rugby
Women’s Championship which played
from 26th to 28th October, 2018.
Trekking
Odisha is an ideal place for trekkers and
mountain lovers. One can trek-up to a
height of about 1600 m. Some of the
best trekking routes in Odisha are
Gandhamardan Trek, Mahendragiri
Trek and Nilagiri Trek. The time period
between October-January is the ideal
time for trekking in Odisha.
Wrestling
It is considered as one of the most
ancient and oldest sports and has
glorious past. The state participates in
many tournaments at National Level,
e.g. in the ‘National Arm Wrestling
308 Know Your State ODISHA Sports in Odisha 309
Tournament’ (2015) Odisha won 10
medals. Prominent wrestlers of the state
are Gautam Kumar Kahali, Chandra
Behera, Sambit Nanda, etc.
Traditional Sports in
Odisha
Kabaddi It is counted among the most
common and widely played traditional
sports. It is the game where one person
plays against seven people.
Kho Kho It is one of India’s very famous
traditional game. This game is very
popular in Odisha.
It is also known as ‘Standing Game’.
This is the sport where players chase and
try to touch a person. Odisha Kho Kho
Association is the governing body of
Kho Kho in Odisha.
Rassi Tana (Rope Pulling) It is a
traditional game of Odisha. It is a
contest of strength in which two teams
tug on opposite ends of a rope, each
trying to pull the other across a dividing
line.
Nadia Phinga (Coconut Throwing) This
is a traditional game of Odisha. This is a
game of throwing coconuts on land or
even in water. One whose coconut covers
the longest distance, is the one who
wins.
Khapara Dian This is a traditional game
of Odisha. In this game, one has to jump
with one leg and perform various tasks.
Puchi It is another traditional game of
Odisha which is a game dance of the
state. It is played both in sitting and
standing positions. Usually, this sport is
played by young girls during moonlight
nights of Hindu month of Ashwin.
Sword Fighting This is another
traditional sport of the state. A sword
fight is a battle between two-people,
each with a sword and the goal is to
defeat the opponent as fast as one can.
A sword fight can be in sport, battle or
fun.
Paen Anba (Bringing Water) This
traditional game is performed by both
boys and girls of 5 to 8 years age group.
It visualises the culinary tradition of
Western Odisha.
In this game, participants take water
from pond or river and prepare different
traditional food items symbolically.
Machhasare Ghina It is a traditional
game of Odisha. It represents the selling
of fish by fisher women moving around
the Para (settlements).
Gedi It is a traditional game of Odisha.
It is played by all adolescent, young and
middle-aged. It is a totally ritual based
game.
Performance of this game started from
Ratha Yatra, the second day of bright
fortnight of Ashadh and continues till
new moon of Bhadrapad.
Ganthi Ganana It is a game performed
during wedding ceremony by Kharial
tribes of Sundargarh district.
In this game, one of the Sians (senior
and respectable person) asks everybody
to tell the name of the nine-node of
bamboo stick, which represents the
names of their Gotra (lineage).
Surfing Some of the beaches of Odisha
offer adequate facilities for surfing like
Puri beache, Gopalpur-on-Sea,
Chandipur beach, etc. It is an
adventurous and recreational activity.
310 Know Your State ODISHA
Sports Associations in
Odisha
Odisha has very active sports associations
working in the state.These are:
Odisha Cricket Association
The Odisha Cricket Association was
formed in the year 1949. It headquarters
is in Cuttack Barabati Stadium
Complex. The Cricket activities and
events are managed by the Odisha
Cricket Association. It is affiliated to the
Board of Control for Cricket in India.
This association started the local
Twenty-20 tournament known as Odisha
Premier League. The association is
responsible to manage the Barabati
Stadium for Cricket in Cuttack, Odisha
Cricket Academy and Sachin Tendulkar
Indoor Cricket Hall and many other
grounds in the state.
Football Association of Odisha
The Football Association of Odisha is
situated in Cuttack. It is the state
governing body of football in the state. It
is affiliated to the All India Football
Association. It manages the Odisha
Men’s Football Team as well as the
Odisha Women’s Football Team. It
started various tournaments like the
Football League, Kalinga Cup, Gati
Krushna Memorial Football League, The
Sahani Cup, BC Roy Football Memorial
Tournament, etc.
Sports and Youth Services
Department, Odisha
This department was set up by the State
Government of Odisha in Bhubaneswar.
It aims to encourage young players and
support their participation and
involvement.
The department provides opportunities
to the young persons for economic and
social development. It also organises
national integration championships,
exchange programmes, youth leadership
championship at district and state
levels.
Hockey Odisha
The Hockey Odisha is the state
governing body of Hockey in Odisha. It
was earlier known as the Hockey
Association of Odisha. It is affiliated to
Hockey India, Odisha Olympic
Association and Odisha Council of
Sports. It is located in Barabati
Stadium in Cuttack district.
Odisha Olympic Association
It is the governing body of sports in the
state of Odisha. Its headquarters is
located in Cuttack district. The
association is responsible for selecting
athletes to represent the country at
national and international level games
like Olympic Games, Commonwealth
Games, Asian Games and National
Games of India.
Stadiums in Odisha
Barabati Stadium
It was established in 1958. It is located
in Cuttack, Odisha. It is a regular venue
for international cricket and is the
home ground of Odisha cricket team.
The stadium is owned and operated by
the Odisha Cricket Association. It
hosts national football tournament and
the state’s football matches. The
Barabati Stadium is an alternate venue
for home matches of IPL team i.e.
Kolkata Knight Riders.
Page 5


CHAPTER27
Sports in the state of Odisha has always occupied a prominent
position. People play a number of local games and also play
organised sports such as cricket, football, hockey, etc.
Sportspersons from Odisha have received many awards in
different sports.
The Government of Odisha ensure to provide every possible facility to the youth
and develop their interest in sports activities. There are many people from the state
who got national fame in sports like Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey and Rachita Mistri
Panda, who have won Olympic medals for India. The people of Odisha have craze
for sports and their liking for games have now changed a lot. New famous games
have taken the place of age old traditional games.
Sports Scenario in Odisha
Sports is an important part of the Odisha culture. The most popular sports of the
state are athletics, field hockey, tennis, football, rugby, canoeing, boating, wrestling,
etc. Besides these, there are other traditional games in the state such as puchi,
khapura dian, rassi tana (rope pulling), gilli danda, hatbika, etc.
Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha, is also known as the Sports Capital of India as
it has world class infrastructure for various sporting events. The sporting events in
the state are organised by the sports and youth services of the Government of
Odisha.
Major Sports in Odisha
Some of the famoussportswhich are playedin Odisha are asfollows:
Athletics
It is one of the major sports in Odisha. These sports consist of different games like
running, sprinting, hurdling, etc. The state has produced one of the finest athletes
who got the fame at both national and international level. For example, Anuradha
Biswal, Dutee Chand, Amiya Kumar Mallick, Jauna Murmu, Shabani Nanda and
Budhia Singh. The Kalinga Stadium (Bhubaneswar) organised the 22nd edition of
the Asian Athletics Championship 2017.
Canoeing and Boating
The state of Odisha offers superb
facilities for water sports due to long
coastline such as peddle boat,
parasailing, jet ski, canoeing and
boating.
Places like Dhabaleswar (Cuttack) and
Barkul (Khordha) are highly visited by
tourists for such adventurous activities.
Football
It is one of the major sports in Odisha.
Football sport is administered by the
Football Association of Odisha (FAO).
The Odisha Women’s Football Team
provided many players to the India
Women’s National Football team.
The state also has Odisha men’s football
team. Important football players from
Odisha are Susmita Malik, Rakesh
Oram, Supriya Routray, Manisha Panna,
Proloy Shah, etc.
Field Hockey
It is the most popular sport of Odisha.
The Odisha Government has become
the first Government in India which has
sponsored a national team of this sport.
Odia Hockey Team is the state’s field
hockey team.
Its home grounds are Biju Patnaik
Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
The Hockey Odisha team has provided
many renowned players to Indian Men’s
National Field Hockey Team and India
Women’s National Field Hockey Team.
Important players are Anupa Barla,
Binita Toppo, Birendra Lakra, Dilip
Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Prabodh
Tirkey, etc.
Hockey World Cup 2018
The 14th Hockey World Cup was held in
the city of Bhubaneswar, Odisha from
28th November to 16th December, 2018.
Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar hosted
the inaugration ceremony that witnessed
the biggest drone flying show in India.
Organising this tournament was a huge
opportunity for Odisha to celebrate the
sport of Hockey. This is the third time,
India has hosted the tournament. Other
hosts were Bombay (1982) and New Delhi
(2010). The tournament was won by
Belgium while India reached till the
quarter finals.
Rugby
It is another major sports of Odisha.
Rugby Football is administered by the
Odisha Rugby Football Association.
Odisha has many Rugby teams like
Odisha Women’s Rugby Union teams,
Odisha Women’s Rugby seven teams
and Odisha Men’s Rugby seven teams.
The state has hosted the Asia Rugby
Women’s Championship which played
from 26th to 28th October, 2018.
Trekking
Odisha is an ideal place for trekkers and
mountain lovers. One can trek-up to a
height of about 1600 m. Some of the
best trekking routes in Odisha are
Gandhamardan Trek, Mahendragiri
Trek and Nilagiri Trek. The time period
between October-January is the ideal
time for trekking in Odisha.
Wrestling
It is considered as one of the most
ancient and oldest sports and has
glorious past. The state participates in
many tournaments at National Level,
e.g. in the ‘National Arm Wrestling
308 Know Your State ODISHA Sports in Odisha 309
Tournament’ (2015) Odisha won 10
medals. Prominent wrestlers of the state
are Gautam Kumar Kahali, Chandra
Behera, Sambit Nanda, etc.
Traditional Sports in
Odisha
Kabaddi It is counted among the most
common and widely played traditional
sports. It is the game where one person
plays against seven people.
Kho Kho It is one of India’s very famous
traditional game. This game is very
popular in Odisha.
It is also known as ‘Standing Game’.
This is the sport where players chase and
try to touch a person. Odisha Kho Kho
Association is the governing body of
Kho Kho in Odisha.
Rassi Tana (Rope Pulling) It is a
traditional game of Odisha. It is a
contest of strength in which two teams
tug on opposite ends of a rope, each
trying to pull the other across a dividing
line.
Nadia Phinga (Coconut Throwing) This
is a traditional game of Odisha. This is a
game of throwing coconuts on land or
even in water. One whose coconut covers
the longest distance, is the one who
wins.
Khapara Dian This is a traditional game
of Odisha. In this game, one has to jump
with one leg and perform various tasks.
Puchi It is another traditional game of
Odisha which is a game dance of the
state. It is played both in sitting and
standing positions. Usually, this sport is
played by young girls during moonlight
nights of Hindu month of Ashwin.
Sword Fighting This is another
traditional sport of the state. A sword
fight is a battle between two-people,
each with a sword and the goal is to
defeat the opponent as fast as one can.
A sword fight can be in sport, battle or
fun.
Paen Anba (Bringing Water) This
traditional game is performed by both
boys and girls of 5 to 8 years age group.
It visualises the culinary tradition of
Western Odisha.
In this game, participants take water
from pond or river and prepare different
traditional food items symbolically.
Machhasare Ghina It is a traditional
game of Odisha. It represents the selling
of fish by fisher women moving around
the Para (settlements).
Gedi It is a traditional game of Odisha.
It is played by all adolescent, young and
middle-aged. It is a totally ritual based
game.
Performance of this game started from
Ratha Yatra, the second day of bright
fortnight of Ashadh and continues till
new moon of Bhadrapad.
Ganthi Ganana It is a game performed
during wedding ceremony by Kharial
tribes of Sundargarh district.
In this game, one of the Sians (senior
and respectable person) asks everybody
to tell the name of the nine-node of
bamboo stick, which represents the
names of their Gotra (lineage).
Surfing Some of the beaches of Odisha
offer adequate facilities for surfing like
Puri beache, Gopalpur-on-Sea,
Chandipur beach, etc. It is an
adventurous and recreational activity.
310 Know Your State ODISHA
Sports Associations in
Odisha
Odisha has very active sports associations
working in the state.These are:
Odisha Cricket Association
The Odisha Cricket Association was
formed in the year 1949. It headquarters
is in Cuttack Barabati Stadium
Complex. The Cricket activities and
events are managed by the Odisha
Cricket Association. It is affiliated to the
Board of Control for Cricket in India.
This association started the local
Twenty-20 tournament known as Odisha
Premier League. The association is
responsible to manage the Barabati
Stadium for Cricket in Cuttack, Odisha
Cricket Academy and Sachin Tendulkar
Indoor Cricket Hall and many other
grounds in the state.
Football Association of Odisha
The Football Association of Odisha is
situated in Cuttack. It is the state
governing body of football in the state. It
is affiliated to the All India Football
Association. It manages the Odisha
Men’s Football Team as well as the
Odisha Women’s Football Team. It
started various tournaments like the
Football League, Kalinga Cup, Gati
Krushna Memorial Football League, The
Sahani Cup, BC Roy Football Memorial
Tournament, etc.
Sports and Youth Services
Department, Odisha
This department was set up by the State
Government of Odisha in Bhubaneswar.
It aims to encourage young players and
support their participation and
involvement.
The department provides opportunities
to the young persons for economic and
social development. It also organises
national integration championships,
exchange programmes, youth leadership
championship at district and state
levels.
Hockey Odisha
The Hockey Odisha is the state
governing body of Hockey in Odisha. It
was earlier known as the Hockey
Association of Odisha. It is affiliated to
Hockey India, Odisha Olympic
Association and Odisha Council of
Sports. It is located in Barabati
Stadium in Cuttack district.
Odisha Olympic Association
It is the governing body of sports in the
state of Odisha. Its headquarters is
located in Cuttack district. The
association is responsible for selecting
athletes to represent the country at
national and international level games
like Olympic Games, Commonwealth
Games, Asian Games and National
Games of India.
Stadiums in Odisha
Barabati Stadium
It was established in 1958. It is located
in Cuttack, Odisha. It is a regular venue
for international cricket and is the
home ground of Odisha cricket team.
The stadium is owned and operated by
the Odisha Cricket Association. It
hosts national football tournament and
the state’s football matches. The
Barabati Stadium is an alternate venue
for home matches of IPL team i.e.
Kolkata Knight Riders.
It was an adopted home venue for former franchise Deccan Chargers. Barabati
Stadium is the venue for both Indian Premier League and Odisha Premier League.
Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology Stadium (KIIT)
It is a new multipurpose stadium located in Bhubaneswar. It is a part of Kalinga
Institute of Industrial Technology University Campus with a seating capacity of
40000.
The stadium has facilities for cricket, hockey, football, basketball, lawn tennis and
track of 400 metres. The stadium hosts day-matches. The stadium hosted a
Twenty20 cricket tournament in 2014-15 and few matches of the Ranji Trophy in
2016-17.
Ispat Stadium
It is a cricket stadium which is located in Rourkela. The ground is mainly used for
organising matches of football, cricket and other sports. The stadium has hosted
three matches in 1972 when played against Bihar cricket team. It has also hosted
many matches from 1990 to 1993.
Veer Surendra Sai Stadium
This is a cricket stadium which is located in city of Sambalpur. The ground is
named after Surendra Sai, an Indian freedom fighter. The ground hosted cricket
matches from 1973.
Important Stadiums in Odisha
Name Game Place
East Coast Railway Stadium Cricket Bhubaneswar
Kalinga Stadium Multipurpose Bhubaneswar
Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium Hockey Rourkela
Malkangiri Stadium Cricket Malkangiri
Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium — Cuttack
Odisha Sports Youth Policy, 2013
The Sports and Youth Department of Odisha in order to encourage the youth that
accounts to 42% of the population, formulated the State Youth Policy in 2013.The
policy directionsare asfollows:
l
For creating an enabling comprehensive sports ecosystem and fostering a stronger
sports culture, a ‘Sports Authority of Odisha’ is formed.
l
To make sports and physical education an integral part of school curriculum and
sports period compulsory.
l
To conduct a special drive undertaken to fill-up the vacancies of physical education
teachers and part-time physical instructors.
l
To strengthen the existing government schools of physical education.
311 Sports in Odisha