Odisha Women's League

The Odisha Women's League (OWL), previously known as the FAO Women's League, is the women's top division football league of Odisha. 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 (2011-08-15)
CountryIndia
Number of teams6
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toIWL 2nd Division
Current championsOdisha FC
(1st title)
Most championshipsEast Coast Railway
Rising Students Club
(3 titles)
TV partnersFA Odisha
(YouTube, Facebook)
Current: 2022–23

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

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
Venues for FAO Leagues in Odisha

Bhubaneswar

Cuttack

Clubs
Club Joined Current Best performance
Bidanasi Club 2018–19 DNP League Stage
Chand Club 2011 DNP Runners-Up (2011)
Chauliaganj Club 2011 DNP League stage
East Coast Railway 2012 2nd Champions (2012, 2015, 2019–20)
Mangala Club 2011 DNP Runners-Up (2013)
Morning Club 2011 DNP League stage
Odisha FC 2022–23 Champions Champions (2022–23)
Odisha Government Press 2020–21 6th League stage
Odisha Police 2011 5th 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 3rd Runners-Up (2015, 2017, 2021–22)
Sunrise Club 2011 DNP League stage
Sunshine Club 2011 DNP League stage

Championships
Season Champion Runners-up
2011Radha Raman ClubChand Club
2012East Coast RailwayChand Club
2013Rising Students ClubMangala Club
2015East Coast RailwaySports Odisha
2017Rising Students ClubSports Odisha
2018–19SAI-STCOdisha Police
2019–20East Coast RailwayOdisha Police
2020–21Rising Students ClubEast Coast Railway
2021–22Odisha PoliceSports Odisha
2022–23Odisha FCEast Coast Railway

Championships by team
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
Sports Odisha 0 3 —
Mangala Club 0 1 —
Chand Club 0 1 —

See also

References
  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.
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