OFC Women’s Football and Grassroots Department hosted a Football Festival for Girls at the Aul Stadium ground at Aul, Kendrapara district, on Friday, 8th April.
 

The 28 participants were a mix of girls between the ages of 7 to 19. There was refreshing talent in view among girls who had recently joined the regular training sessions of hometown coach, Susanta Kr. Malik, as well as experienced campaigners who have represented Odisha in the Junior and Sub-Junior National levels.
 

The players were divided into two groups, engaging in multiple drills, before wrapping up with a 7v7 match among the senior players. All were treated to snacks and refreshments post the event courtesy of former MLA Shri Debendra Sharma, also former Vice-President of the State Women’s Football Association, who graced the occasion briefly with his presence.
 

Speaking to local media channels, OFC Head of Women’s Football and Academy Randeep Baruah said that apart from hosting a one-day festival, Aul was very much in the club’s sights as a center of talent recruitment and development for the OFC Women’s team. With a strong culture of Women’s football boasting of talent such as Sasmita Malik, Gayatri Malik, and Alochana Senapati among others, ‘Aali’ as it is locally called, is a natural hotbed of talent. With the support of the local authorities, the girls in Aali need more structured training designs and a pathway for their talent to shine through, which Odisha FC’s Women’s team will look to provide them within the near future.
 

The event concluded with a presentation of the official Odisha FC jersey to Shri Debendra Sharma and Susanta Kr. Malik, amid a loud shoutout by the girls of Aali with our motto - #AmaTeamAmaGame!