The Odisha Women's League (OWL), also known as the FAO Women's League, is the women's top division football league of Odisha, India. The league is among the existing top tier women's football leagues in India. The league is organised every year by the apex football governing body of Odisha, the Football Association of Odisha (FAO), in association with the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) of the Government of Odisha. It is currently contested by 6 clubs across the state.[1][2]

Odisha Women's League
Organising bodyFAO (Odisha)
Founded15 August 2011; 13 years ago (2011-08-15)
CountryIndia
Number of teams6
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toIndian Women's League 2
Current championsNita Football Academy
(1st title)
Most championshipsEast Coast Railway
Rising Students Club
(3 titles)
TV partnersFA Odisha
(YouTube, Facebook)
Current: 2023–24

Since the inception of the Odisha Women's League, a total of four clubs have been crowned champions. East Coast Railway and Rising Students Club have won the most titles in league history, being crowned champions thrice. Chand Club, Odisha Police, and SAI-STC have won it once.

History

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Odisha Women's League was brought up as AT Group Women's Football League in the year 2011 as Odisha's premier level women's football league. The Football Association of Odisha (FAO) introduced the league system to provide a platform for women to showcase their footballing abilities. The league system eventually continued to be a hit among the footballing enthusiasts of Odisha. Footballing talents from the FAO Women's League are recruited in the Odisha women's football team, and eventually in India women's national football team.[3]

On 27 February 2021, during the press meet and jersey launch ceremony for the 2020-21 season, the league was rechristened as Odisha Women's League. The ceremony took place in the presence of Principal Secretary of Department of Sports and Youth Services, Vishal Kumar Dev, and Honorary Secretary of Football Association of Odisha (FAO) at the Kalinga Stadium.[4]

Venues

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Bhubaneswar

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Cuttack

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Choudwar

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  • OTM Ground

Clubs

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Club Joined Current Best performance
Ardor Football Academy 2023–24 6th League Stage
Bidanasi Club 2018–19 DNP League Stage
Chand Club 2011 DNP Runners-Up (2011)
Chauliaganj Club 2011 DNP League stage
East Coast Railway 2012 DNP Champions (2012, 2015, 2019–20)
KIIT & KIIS 2023–24 3rd TBC
Mangala Club 2011 DNP Runners-Up (2013)
Morning Club 2011 DNP League stage
Nita Football Academy 2023–24 Champions Champions (2023–24)
Odisha FC 2022–23 DNP Champions (2022–23)
Odisha Government Press 2020–21 2nd League stage
Odisha Police 2011 DNP Champions (2021–22)
Radha Gobinda Club 2011 DNP League stage
Radha Raman Club 2011 DNP Champions (2011)
Rising Students Club 2011 4th Champions (2013, 2017, 2020–21)
SAI-STC Cuttack 2017 DNP Champions (2018–19)
Sports Odisha 2013 5th Runners-Up (2015, 2017, 2021–22)
Sunrise Club 2011 DNP League stage
Sunshine Club 2011 DNP League stage

Championships

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Season Champion Runners-up
2011 Radha Raman Club Chand Club
2012 East Coast Railway Chand Club
2013 Rising Students Club Mangala Club
2015 East Coast Railway Sports Odisha
2017 Rising Students Club Sports Odisha
2018–19 SAI-STC Odisha Police
2019–20 East Coast Railway Odisha Police
2020–21 Rising Students Club East Coast Railway
2021–22 Odisha Police Sports Odisha
2022–23 Odisha FC East Coast Railway
2023–24 Nita Football Academy Odisha Government Press

Championships by team

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Club Titles Runners-Up Winning Seasons
East Coast Railway 3 1 2012, 2015, 2019–20
Rising Students Club 3 0 2013, 2017, 2020–21
Odisha Police 1 2 2021–22
SAI-STC 1 0 2018–19
Radha Raman Club 1 0 2011
Odisha FC 1 0 2022–23
Nita Football Academy 1 0 2023–24
Sports Odisha 0 3
Mangala Club 0 1
Chand Club 0 1

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "FAO Women's Football League". Orisports. 28 August 2011. Archived from the original on 17 May 2018. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
  2. ^ "Odisha Women League 2020-21". Orisports. 28 February 2021. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  3. ^ "All you need to know about the football league structure in Odisha". Goal. 25 June 2018. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  4. ^ @sports_odisha (27 February 2021). "Odisha Sports" (Tweet) – via Twitter.