Ever since Sasmita Mallick debuted in an international level football tournament in 2007, Odisha’s Aul town in the Kendrapara district has become synonymous with football.
With a population of almost 100,000 residents, Aul is 35 kilometers from the district headquarters in Kendrapara. So far it has sent 15 football players to the Indian women’s football teams (both junior and senior): Sasmita Mallick, Gayatri Mallick, Suprava Samal, Sangita Patra, Shardhanjali Sahoo, Rasmita Patra, Kausalya Barik, Alochana Senapati, Sinulata Sahoo, Maneka Mallick, Rachita Mallick, Anima Mallick, Josnhya Mallick, Sasmita Behera and Bijoylaxmi Sahu.
“It all began in the late 1990s with a coach called Chittaranjan Das, who instilled the passion for football in Aul,” Debendra Sharma, the president of Aul Athletics Association told Gaon Connection.
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“No big tournament in the country is complete without the presence of footballers from here,” he added. The Odisha government plans to modify the sports infrastructure in Aul and set up a football academy.
According to the the official Twitter [now X] handle of the Chief Minister’s Office on May 31, the chief minister has announced that a girls football academy with artificial turf will be constructed at Aul in Kendrapara district. A grassroots level training programme will be introduced for children between 6 and12 years of age.
Lokanath Panigrahi, the District Sports Officer in Kendrapara told Gaon Connection that the academy would have an artificial football ground, a hostel for the budding footballers, a gymnasium and other facilities.
“The trainees are being scouted from different parts of the state. Many budding footballers of Aul are expected to join the academy,” Panigrahi said, adding that professional football coaches will be appointed to train the girls in the academy.
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The Odisha government plans to modify the sports infrastructure in Aul and set up a football academy.
The girls will also get free education apart from their training under the football excellence programme in the academy, he said.
Susant Kumar Mallick, the head coach of the women footballers at Aul told Gaon Connection that presently, 40 players are being trained in a mini stadium at a government high school at Aul.
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“The girls of Aul dream of wearing the Team India T-shirt. But they need proper coaches, playgrounds, the right nutrition, medical facilities and sports kits,” Mallick said. So far, even without these support systems, Aul has produced remarkable women footballers who have won laurels for the nation and Odisha. “The upcoming facilities will surely help these players do even better,” Mallick said.
Between 2005 to 2015, the women football team of Odisha bagged the runners-up spot 10 times, and became the champions in 2011.
It all began in the late 1990s with a coach called Chittaranjan Das, who instilled the passion for football in Aul.
“Aul has become very popular. This small town is now on the mind of almost every sports enthusiast. It brings me immense happiness to have contributed to the fame of my hometown. I hope that with the upcoming football academy, the sporting talent from Aul will become known globally,” Alochana Senapati, an international-level women footballer from Aul told Gaon Connection.
