Nita Football Academy

Nita Football Academy
Full nameNita Football Academy
Short nameNita FA
Founded2011 (2011)
GroundDhabaleswar Institute of Polytechnic Ground
OwnerNita Football Trust
ChairmanSubrat Das
Head coachParomita Sit
LeagueIndian Women's League
Odisha Women's League
2024–25Indian Women's League, 6th of 8
Odisha Women's League, Champions
Websitenitafootball.com

Nita Football Academy is an Indian women's professional football club and academy based in Radha Damodarpur, Cuttack, Odisha. It is the first private residential football academy of Odisha, dedicated to promoting football among underprivileged girls. They are the current champions of the Odisha Women's League and Khelo India State Championships U-17. Many of the academy students have represented at sub-junior, junior, and senior national levels. They finished as runners-up in the 2023–24 season of the Indian Women's League 2, which enabled promotion to the top tier Indian Women's League.[1][2][3]

Academy

Established in 2011, Nita Football Academy was founded by the Nita Football Trust with the mission of promoting football, particularly among underprivileged girls. The academy is affiliated to Cuttack District Athletic Association, Football Association of Odisha (FAO), and were conditionally accredited as an Advanced Private Residential Academy by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).[4][5] Its headquarters are located at Dhabaleswar Institute of Polytechnique, Radha Damodarpur, Khuntuni, near Cuttack, and they will be playing the Indian Women's League 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Athletic Stadium at Rourkela as their home ground.[6]

The academy has girls in under-19, under-17, and under-15 categories training under supporting coaches, administrative staff, matron, hostel facilities, full-fledged canteen, physiotherapist, ambulance services, on-call doctor and an advanced gymnasium. The academy also takes care of the player’s education by providing facilities in the technical education and in nearby school and colleges. The academy also operates in Puri to train students using the infrastructure facilities of Puri Zilla School.

Squad

As of 9 January 2025[7]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  IND Sasmita Parida
2 DF  IND Jabamani Tudu
3 DF  IND Manisa Panna (captain)
4 DF  IND Juli Kishan
6 DF  GHA Sussana Konadu
7 MF  IND Munica Minz
8 MF  IND Janhabi Kishan
10 FW  IND Manisha Naik
11 FW  IND Lourembam Menaka Devi
14 FW  IND Priya Rui Das
16 MF  IND Poonam
18 MF  IND Yendrembam Thoithoi Devi
19 MF  IND Diti Kanungo
20 MF  IND Sonia Ekka
21 GK  IND Malti Kumari
No. Pos. Nation Player
26 FW  IND Sunita Swain
27 DF  IND Pragyan Kishan
28 DF  IND Payel Layek
29 DF  IND Ambruta Nayak
30 FW  IND Sikha Malik
31 GK  IND Susmita Pun
32 DF  IND Pipili Mohanty
34 FW  IND Laxmi Priya Lenka
36 FW  IND Babita Kumari
37 FW  IND Yumnam Kamala Devi
42 FW  NGA Regina Olasele
44 DF  GHA Rahama Jafaru
45 MF  IND Jigmet Chuzen

Management

Position Name
Chairman Subrat Das
President Bhakta Ballav Das
General Secretary Arun Parija
Chief Technical Advisor Mohammad Shahid Jabbar

Honours

Domestic

Regional

References

  1. ^ "Sreebhumi FC, Nita Football Academy earn promotion to IWL". AIFF. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Nita Football Academy (NFA) makes history, qualifies for coveted Indian Women's League (IWL) 2024-25". The Financial Express. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Sreebhumi FC, Nita Football Academy earn promotion to IWL". Football Counter. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  4. ^ "NITA FOOTBALL ACADEMY". All India Football Federation. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  5. ^ "NITA FOOTBALL ACADEMY". Nita Football Academy. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  6. ^ Media Team, AIFF (24 October 2024). "Indian Women's League 2024-25 Fixture" (PDF). the-aiff.com. New Delhi: All India Football Federation. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Indian Women's League Squad". AIFF. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  8. ^ "OWL 2023-24: OGP Club, Sports Odisha post wins". Orisports. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Nita Football Academy retain OWL crown; Sports Odisha runners-up". Orisports. Retrieved 16 April 2025.