Bhubaneswar: Odisha citizens turned cheerleaders for the very enthusiastic and zealous women footballers of our country who recently defeated Bangladesh at the regional qualifying tournament for 2020 Japan Olympics at Yangon in Myanmar.
They were present to encourage the players, which included three talented girls from Odisha- Jabamani Tudu, Manisha Panna and Pyari Xaxa. The team defeated Bangladesh by an impressive 7-1 and reached round two of the Asian qualifiers.
A grand treat and a party was organized for the winners. We at Odisha Bytes are proud of the players from Odisha in the team.
Jabamani Tudu
Born in Odisha, she plays in the forward position for the Odisha Sports Hostel and the India women’s national football team. She is a part of the Odisha Sports Hostel and has played for the hostel in youth and senior football tournaments. The young girl, who made her debut as a 15-year-old, has also shown how adept she is at national-level competitions.
She was a part of Rising Students Club that won the title in the second Indian’s Women League held in Meghalaya earlier this year. She also played in the Indian senior side in 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship.
Manisha Panna
Hailing from Sundargarh, this 27-year-old from Odisha plays as a midfielder for the Indian team. She has been a part of the team since 2015 and plays professionally as a defender in the national team. She first played in 2015-16 AFC Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and later played in both South Asian Games and 2016 SAFF Women’s Championship, both of which the team won.
Manisha had helped Odisha clinch a gold at the 34th National Games in 2011 for which she was awarded with a monetary incentive of Rs 20,000 by the Odisha government.
Pyari Xaxa
A forward, this 21-year-old young player is a member of the Rising Students Club. She made her senior international debut in 2015 by playing for India U19 team and was awarded the All India Football Federation Emerging Woman Footballer of the Year.
The team, which she was a part of, won a gold at the 2016 South Asian Games in Shillong. Her career as a footballer began with the club Kunwarmunda based in Odisha. Later in 2016, Rising Students Club signed her to play at the inaugural session of Indian Women’s League, in which she scored 14 goals.
