Tata Steel XI Beat Officers XI To Win Friendship Cup Football Tournament In Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar: Tata Steel XI beat Officers XI 2-1 to win the Friendship Cup Football Tournament 2023 at the Odisha Football Academy Stadium in Bhunbaneswar on Sunday.

Four teams participated in the tournament. Tata Steel XI was led by Rajiv Seth (Project Director at Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Odisha), Leaders XI was led by Arun Sahoo (MLA, Nayagarh), Officers XI led by Debidutt Biswal (PCCF & Head of Forest Force, GoO), and Saswat Mishra (Principal Secretary, MSME, GoO), and Media XI was led by Soumyajit Pattnaik (Chief Editor, Kalinga TV). Tata Steel XI emerged as the winner, while Officers XI was the runner-up.

Prominent dignitaries in attendance included Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water and Forest, Environment & Climate Change Minister Pradeep Kumar Amat, Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, Health Minister Niranjan Pujari, and Minister of State for Electronics & IT and Sports and Youth Services Tushar Kanti Behera, a press release said.

In the semi-finals, Officers XI defeated Leaders XI 2-0 in a closely fought match, while Tata Steel XI defeated Media XI 4-1.

The Man of the Match for the first match was Ramaswamy of Officers XI; for the second match it was won by Debashish Nayak of Tata Steel XI; and for the third match it was awarded to Amitabh Thakur of Officers XI.

Arun Sahoo of Leaders XI and Yogesh Pancheswar of Tata Steel XI were adjudged the best forwards, and Jaganath Nayak of Leaders XI was declared the best goalkeeper.

The Best Defender award was presented to Rajiv Seth of Tata Steel XI; the highest scorer was Anurag Mishra of Officers XI; the Best All-rounder was Suresh Ch. Mohapatra of Officers XI; Saswat Mishra of Officers XI; and Bijay Ketan Mishra of Media XI awarded the best half; the Fairplay award went to Leaders XI; and the Best Disciplined Team award was given to Media XI.