Jharkhand Women inaugural Zonal Champions of India
Jharkhand Women inaugural Zonal Champions of India
Posted on Tuesday, February 4, 2025 by ARFAI,
Jharkhand Crows Women’s Champion team
Jharkhand Crows took away the historic and inaugural women’s inter-state competition as well after their male counterparts clinched the titles in both junior and senior divisions a day earlier.
The first ever ARFAI Women’s East Zone Championship 2025 saw Jharkhand Crows lock horns with Odisha Swans and West Bengal Tigers and take away the title defeating the home team Odisha Swans 05-08-38 to 00-00-00 in the Grand Final on Monday 27 January 2025.
The milestone women’s tournament in India was also organised at the Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) Oval in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The tournament would not have been possible to organise without the unwavering support and motivation from Rebacca Crawley, Special Projects Manager, Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation (TYIC) who had been working closely with the Centurion University on projects promoting indigenous knowledge, skills and cultural exchange between India and Australia.
Odisha Swans Women’s Runners up team
The tournament marked another significant milestone in the journey of Australian Rules Football in India with the women’s participants getting the first opportunity to compete at inter-state level. The girls/women had been playing footy for a while in certain states in India including the three states participating at the zonals. ARFAI had organised exhibition matches between the women’s team in the past during men’s zonal or state championships, but to organise the inaugural competition for women’s Australian Rules Football tournament in India was not only a historic and special milestone, but a remarkable day of skills displayed by the women on field as well.
West Bengal Tigers Women debutant team
The day saw league matches kick off in the morning after an opening and jersey presentation ceremony led by Rebacca Crawley from TYIC and Kanchan Pushpa Khurana, ARFAI’s Head of National Operations. While the West Bengal Tigers and Odisha Swans displayed good footy skills at their inaugural appearance to represent their states, the Jharkhand Crows women looked clearly better trained and experienced. Jharkhand and Odisha qualified for the Grand Finals where Jharkhand Crows women won the East Zone Championship 2025 quite convincingly.
India A Women’s Vs Team Centurion Nigeria match
The day also saw an Indian A team picked from all the 3 states teams play an international friendly match against the Centurion University Nigerian team, which the Indian girls won quite convincingly. All the women’s games were live streamed through the Centurion University YouTube page. Full day’s replay can be accessed here.
The presentation ceremony post the Grand Final saw Prof. Mukti Kanta Mishra, President of CUTM hand over the Championship Trophy alongside other distinguished guests from CUTM, TYIC and ARFAI. We would like to acknowledge the support from Mr. Hugh Boylan, Australian Consul General to East India, Kolkata for accepting the request to be the Chief Guest for the historic tournament originally but was unable to attend on the day due to personal reasons.
Jharkhand Vs West Bengal match
Inaugural Women’s East Zone Championship 2025 – Awards List
Best Mark: Sunia Soren, Odisha Swan
Best Goal: Alomani Tigga, Jharkhand Crows
Best Defender: Ptatishtha Mohapatra, Odisha Swans
Player of the Tournament: Alisha Tigga, Jharkhand Crows
Claridge Fair Play Award: West Bengal Tigers
The ARFAI would like to thank all the sponsors and supporters who made the tournament a grand success including Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation, Only Health Pty Ltd and Centurion University of Technology and Management. ARFAI is also grateful to all the officials and volunteers across ARFAI’s national organising committee headed by Ms. Kanchan P. Khurana, local organising committee volunteers headed by Footy Association of Odisha (FAO) President Mr. Rama Ch. Murmu and the CUTM and TYIC staff and volunteers.
Jharkhand Women’s players, coach and officials with ARFAI Founder Sudip Chakraborty
Photo credits – Matt Reilly
Unstoppable Jharkhand win both national trophies
Posted on Sunday, February 2, 2025 by ARFAI,
Winners of the 10th National Championship – The Jharkhand Crows
Jharkhnad Crows continued their dominance and won both the senior and junior division titles at the 10th edition of the annual National Championship of Australian Rules Football in India, organised by Australian Rules Football Association of India (ARFAI) from 24 to 26 January 2025.
Jharkhand won the senior division Grand Final defeating arch rivals West Bengal Tigers in a closely fought game 9-4-58 to 6-6-42. In the junior division Grand Final, the Crows convincingly defeated Maharashtra Giants 10-5-65 to 6-2-38, winning their seventh national title in junior division and continuing their domination.
The milestone ARFAI National Championship 2025 was organised at the Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM) Oval in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The development of the sport in the state of Odisha across 12 districts and the support from the CUTM President Prof. Mukti Kanta Mishra who is an Australian alumnus himself, ensured the venue for the nationals return to the state post the nationals in 2024 as well.
Odisha Swans Vs Bihar Bulldogs senior game
The tournament marked a significant milestone in the journey of Australian Rules Football in India and the annual national championships being organised since 2012. The very first national championship was organised at Kozhikode, Kerala back in 2012 on a dusty-sand ground with 3 states participating. The tournament has grown every year with more states and teams joining in and the tournament itself being organised in various states including Goa, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Odisha. The special 10th edition was organised at possibly the best ground the nationals have ever been held at, along with wonderful support for the players in terms of hospitality that was organised by the national body.
The tournament also expanded this year in terms of matches being held across three days instead of two days as per past championships. This was done to accommodate more matches to be organised with an increased number of teams. Additionally, to mark the scenes of the annual championships and the special milestone tournament, ARFAI introduced an additional day of women’s Footy in India, by organising the inaugural women’s zonal championship of the sport in India on Monday 27 January 2025.
Hon. Sports & Education Minister of Odisha being felicitated by Team India Capt. Mahesh Tirkey
The cherry on top was the Hon. Sports and Education Minister of Odisha, Mr. Suryabanshi Nayak, inaugurating both the tournaments together on 24 January as the Chief Guest of the 4-day carnival and inspiring the participants through his speech, before hoisting ARFAI’s flag, kicking the Footy to score a goal with Indian Captain Mahesh Tirkey and then announcing the tournaments open.
League matches kicked-off on Friday 24 January, with the hosts Odisha Swans playing their first match of junior division against the Telangana Saints on Day 1. Day 2 saw an official Opening Ceremony of the tournament in the morning with the Indian National Flag hoisted, 350+ players and officials singing the Indian national anthem in unison, followed by the Welcome Address to all participants and guests by ARFAI Founder and Former Team India Captain Mr. Sudip Chakraborty. ARFAI was also honoured to host Dr Sourjya Ranjan Parija, Dy. Director (PE/NCC) Higher Education, Odisha and Mrs Anuradha Biswal, former Olympian athlete (track and field), also known as Odisha’s Hurdles Queen, at the opening ceremony as Guests of Honour. Earlier in the day, league matches started off after a delayed start due to heavy fog on the ground and across CUTM campus, but the energy from all participants and supporters on field made up for a fantastic day of Footy in India.
Day 3 saw some of the remaining league matches for both junior and senior divisions being played by in the morning before the semi finals kicked off at 1pm.
The Junior Division Semi Finals saw the Bihar Bulldogs make it to the finals for the very first time, with the ever dominant Jharkhand Crows taking away the junior division cup after a great Junior Division Grand Final game against the Maharashtra Giants who have developed their performance over the years.
The Senior Division Grand Final saw the Bengal Tigers and Jharkhand Crows lock horns yet again for the trophy, after defeating Kerala Bombers and hosts Odisha Swans in the Semi Finals. The Grand Finals kicked off with the Bengal Tigers ahead at first quarter time by 2 goals but the highly coordinated Crows came back strongly taking the game away from the Tigers second quarter onwards, with the Tigers putting in a desperate attempt in the final quarter before the final siren.
The presentation ceremony post Senior Division Grand Final saw Ms. Shrabani Nanda, Indian Olympian Athlete (sprinter) and Prof. Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor, CUTM as the special guests alongside our very own Sudhasil Mitra, Head Coach of Team India who took India to the historic Asia Cup 2024 Semi Finals and also founding committee member of ARFAI, to hand over prizes alongside other distinguished guests.
Among multiple prizes that were handed out across both divisions including Fair Play trophies, Best Mark, Best Goal and Best Defender, Jagannath Lohar from Jharkhand Crows won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award in junior division and Shiba Marndi from Odisha Swans won the award in senior division.
Shiba Marndi receiving his award from Mark Healey
NC25 Awards List
Best Mark: Jr – Ankit Kumar, Bihar Bulldogs; Sr – Gurudev Nayak, Odisha Swans
Best Goal: Jr – Shivam Kumar, Bihar Bulldogs; Sr – Midlaj AH, Kerala Bombers
Best Defender: Jr – Miraj Sk. – West Bengal Tigers; Sr – Oman Maskal – Jharkhand Crows
Player of the Tournament: Jr – Jagannath Lohar, Jharkhand Crows; Sr – Shiba Marndi
Claridge Fair Play Award: Jr – Odisha Swans; Sr. Kerala Bombers
The ARFAI would like to thank all the sponsors and supporters who made the tournament a grand success including Centurion University, Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation and the AFL through AFL Asia. ARFAI is also grateful to all the officials and volunteers across ARFAI’s national organising committee headed by Ms. Kanchan P. Khurana, local organising committee volunteers headed by Footy Association of Odisha (FAO) President Mr. Rama Ch. Murmu and the CUTM and TYIC staff and volunteers.
Photo credits – Matt Reilly
Indian Tigers create history at AFL Asia Cup
Posted on Saturday, December 14, 2024 by ARFAI,
Team India at AFL Asia Cup 2024
India has qualified for the AFL Asia Cup Semi Finals! A statement that might have been hard to believe for many days out from India’s participation at the inaugural Asia Cup of the sport, wasn’t that surprising in fact for the team management. Yes team India prepared quietly, organised multiple nationals camps with the best players from 11 states of India to select the final 15 touring Vietnam and focused on the basics of skills, discipline and team bonding and were determined to progress India’s international performance record.
Pitted against Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Indonesia in Pool A, India qualified for the semi finals after a historic performance in the sport, before losing out to Japan, who went on to win the inaugural AFL Asia Cup 2024.
Indian Tigers (team India’s name at the AFL Asia Cup) kick started their AFL Asia Cup 2024 journey with a historic win after 13 long years over the hosts Vietnam in Round 1. After a relatively close competition through the first 3 quarters on the game, India took their historic victory away from Vietnam by a big margin in the last quarter, winning the game 8-13-61 to 3-4-22. While Team India veteran Asheet Kujur kicked 3 goals, Soyeb Ali and Midlaj A scored 2 goals each and Wilson Nadar scoring 1. However, the striking figures noticeable on the scorecard were that 13 behinds scored, something that Head Coach Sudhasil Mitra reminded the boys post-game amidst celebrations.
Watch the replay of India’s historic international victory after 13 years here.
Indian Tigers in action against Vietnam
The jubilant Indian Tigers went on to face their arch rivals China in Round 2 on the same day. For those unaware, India played its first ever international game against China in 2008 and since then had faced them multiple times without success. Although majority of the India vs China games in history had been close contests with China winning one of the games by a 1 goal, India had never been able to beet them. So the Tigers went into the game conscious of the track record but with a positive attacking strategy devised by Sudhasil Mitra and his coaching team of Harris Jamal and Jasim Akhtar, who are all former Team India players who have faced the Chinese team in the past. The result of the game was beyond imaginable for anyone, with India thrashing China 17-8-110 to 0-3-3 and winning the game by 107 points, the biggest margin victory at the Asia Cup 2024. Captain Mahesh Tirkey led from the front along with Midlaj A kicking 4 goals each. Soyeb Ali scored goals on this occasion with Asheet Kujur and Dicosta David scoring 2 goals each and Sk Rakesh and Prakash Nayak scoring 1 goal each.
Watch the replay of India’s dominating performance against China here.
Day 2 saw India lock horns against Hong Kong – China in Round 3, which was a really close contest with India going down 6-11-47 to 9-4-58 after fantastic performance all round by the team and a last quarter push to try and win the game. Asheet Kujur scored 3 goals against Hong Kong, while Wilson Nadar, Mahesh Bhadekar and Sk Rakesh scored 1 goal each. Watch India Vs Hong Kong match replay here.
Round 4 on the same day saw India play another close contest against a strong Indonesian side and play their best game against the country, going down by only 8 points 7-11-53 to 9-7-61. Number of behinds scored in both games on Day 2 costing the Tigers heavily. Soyeb Ali and Sk Rakesh scored 2 goals each against Indonesia while Wilson Nadar, Rohan Hindalekar and Manish Hemrom scored a goal each.
However, the good news at the end of Day 2 was that India finished second in Pool A, which meant a further historic moment for India in the sport of Australian Rules football, to make it past the league stage at any international competition ever!
Head Coach Sudhasil Mitra along with Asst Coaches Harris Jamal and Jasim Akhtar brief the team ahead of the semi finals
At the semi finals, the team expected the competition to be very tough against Japan who have been the best performing Asian team in past AFL International Cups and had finished on top of the ladder in Pool B. However, the Tigers started really well against the Samurais, with a score of 4-0-24 to 1-4-10 at the end of first quarter and going into half time only 4 points behind after a last second goal by the Japanese. The Japanese Samurai came back stronger in the last 2 quarters and proved their mettle with endurance and skills and took the game away from the Indian Tigers eventually, defeating them 12-10-82 to 7-3-45. Sk Rakesh and Soyeb Ali scored 2 goals each for India while Rohan Hindalekar, Dicosta David and Oman Manki scored one goal each for their country’s first ever appearance in the finals of an international Australian Football tournament.
Watch the India Vs Japan AFL Asia Cup game replay here.
ARFAI are grateful to the Australian Football League (AFL), who are also the international governing body of the sport for organising the first ever Asia Cup of the sport and also the local hosts, the Vietnam Swans team for all their support to organise an amazing experience for Team India. Read more about the AFL Asia Cup here.
Team India would like to support all its supporters and supporters who helped make this journey successful. We are grateful to Centurion University of Technology and Management and Thamarrurr Youth Indigenous Corporation for their ongoing support for development of Australian Rules Football in India. We are also grateful to Hop On Kangaroos and the Richmond Football Club for their sponsorship and Boots For All for their lovely donation of valuable off-field gear for the team. Additionally, we are absolutely grateful to everyone who contributed to the online fundraiser to support the costs for Team India to travel to the Asia Cup.
All Star Asian Team including Prakash Nayak (2nd from left – front) and Soyeb Ali (3rd from right – front) from India
Cherry on the cake, 2 of India’s best players got selected in the All Star Asian team, with Soyeb Ali and Prakash Nayak getting selected very deservingly.
We are still quite short of the expenses for the tournament and if you would like to extend a small support or share the word with someone that might be able and willing to support, please find the online fundraiser link here – https://gofund.me/b293340f
Odisha State Champs – Mayurbhanj, Khorda and Keonjhar win Centurion Cup 2024
Posted on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 by ARFAI,
Mayurbhanj – Women’s Champions
Mayurbhanj, Khorda and Keonjhar districts won the Centurion Cup 2024 in the senior women’s, junior boys and senior men’s divisions respectively at the annual Odisha State Championship – Centurion Cup 2024.
The event saw over 200 participants from 6 districts and 14 teams from across the state of Odisha join in for fun, fitness and competition while developing new friendships during the event.
The most significant outcome for FAO this year was to organise the first ever women’s division at the state championship.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Supriya Pattanayak, Vice Chancellor of centurion University and the post event presentation ceremony saw the Chief Guest Ashok Mohanty, Deputy Director of Sports for Odisha had out the trophies and medals.
ARFAI would like to acknowledge Tom Crawley From Thamarrur Youth, Rakesh Ghosh, Head of East – North Zone & Former Team India Captain – AFL India, Jasim Akhtar, Asst. Coach & Former international player – Team India and everyone from FAO led by Rama Murmu and Centurion University led by Prof (Dr.) Mukti Mishra who helped make the day a grand success.
Jharkhand emerges double champions at the 9th National Championship
Posted on Sunday, January 28, 2024 by ARFAI,
Jharkhand Crows Senior team with the Trophy
The 9th Australian Football national championship in India, the ARFAI National Championship 2024, hosted by Australian Rules Football Association of India (ARFAI) in association with Odisha Footy Association (OFA), made a triumphant return after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with Jharkhand emerging as double champions. With over a decade-long tradition, this annual tournament has become a cornerstone in the Indian Australian Football calendar, and the 2024 edition was a testament to the resilience and passion for the sport in India.
In an exciting showdown, Jharkhand Crows emerged victorious in both the junior and senior divisions. The junior team’s record-breaking win of 16-9-105 to 0-0-00 against Maharashtra Giants showcased their longstanding dominance in the junior division, while the senior Crows secured a commendable victory with a score line of 8-6-54 to 2-3-15 against the West Bengal Tigers.
The tournament, which couldn’t be organised in 2021-22 due to the pandemic, found its way back with the initiation of two regional events in 2023 – the East-North Zonal in Ranchi, Jharkhand and the West-South Zonal in Secunderabad, Telangana. These events paved the way for the grand revival of the National Championship in the small city of Baripada, Odisha. Taking place on the grounds of M.P.C. Autonomous College, Baripada between January 20th to 22nd, the championship saw participation from 10 states, fielding 10 senior teams and 8 junior teams, comprising over 250 players and officials. The participating states, including debutants Uttar Pradesh Hawks, added to the diverse and competitive landscape of the tournament, while Tamil Nadu Kangaroos had to withdraw their participation at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances.
Day one saw a mix of competitive league matches alongside a few games where some of the more experienced state teams dominated over some of the newer states. The Maharashtra Giants, Odisha Swans and Kerala Bombers played some quality footy, improving their performance form previous tournaments. Uttar Pradesh Hawks, making their debut at the national competition, brought enthusiasm and spirit to the championship.
Day two saw the remaining league matches in the morning, deciding the finalists for the junior division and semi-finalists for the senior divisions. The West Bengal Tigers defeated Maharashtra Giants and Jharkhand Crows defeated Odisha Swans to enter the Senior Grand Final.
The junior Grand Final saw a clean sweep led by the dominating Crows whereas the senior Grand Final saw the arch-rivals battle it out once again for the championship with Jharkhand emerging as comfortable winners in the end. The championship also served as a platform for the selection of the senior ‘All Star 30’ team, who will stand a chance to represent India at the AFL Asia Cup 2024 later this year.
Jharkhand Crows Junior team with their Trophy
The awards were handed out by a number of special guests attending the tournament, including the Chief Guest – Rowan Ainsworth, Australian Consul General, Kolkata; Sarojini Hembram – Former Minister and Rajya Sabha MP, Odisha, Debashish Marandi, SDC Chairman, Mayurbhanj, Odisha and Rakesh Singh, Indian National Congress leader; the 13 Australian volunteers from Bendigo, Victoria and Port Pirie, South Australia; alongside ARFAI senior leadership P.M. Chokshi, Rakesh Ghosh and Sudip Chakraborty.
The return of the tournament after three years resonated with joy and camaraderie among the states. Shane Sayner, volunteer from South Australia praised the Jharkhand Crows for their impressive coordination, going as far as suggesting that they could challenge local club teams in Australia! Indian captain Mahesh Tirkey who represents the Crows at the nationals attributed their success to the training session held by the Australian volunteers, emphasizing the importance of on-field communication. Noteworthy were the outstanding performances of first-year senior division Jharkhand players Deepak Oraon and Bansi Naik, with Bansi Naik earning a coveted spot in the All Star 30 team.
ARFAI is highly grateful to the supporters for the event including Stake.com, AFL Asia, SEED, PNZ Express, Bendigo Umpires Association (BUA), Golden Square Football Club and M.P.C Autonomous College, Baripada, Odisha.
The tournament concluded on a high with a lively awards ceremony post both the Grand Finals, followed by the winning team’s jubilant celebration, dancing to the tunes of their folk music. It was more than just a sporting event; it was a celebration of resilience, sportsmanship, and the shared love for Australian Football. The 2024 National Championship, with its unforgettable moments and remarkable achievements, etched a new chapter in the annals of Australian Football in India
National Championship set to return – 19-21 Jan 2024
Posted on Monday, January 8, 2024 by ARFAI,
Maharashtra State Championships return post Covid
Posted on Thursday, November 2, 2023 by ARFAI,
The 4th edition of FAM Cup (Maharashtra State Championship) was held at Shivaji Park Maidan, Dadar on the October 23rd, 2023, showcased the process of Maharashtra’s young footy talent. Eight teams representing four districts of the state participated, including the Mumbai Cats, Pune Hawks, Thane Tigers and Navi Mumbai Bombers with a total of 120 players representing their districts in the junior and senior divisions.
In the senior division, the Mumbai Cats and Pune Hawks clashed in the finals with the Mumbai Cats clinching the trophy in the end. Rohan Hindlekar was awarded the Best Player title in the senior division.
The junior division finals saw an intense battle between the Navi Mumbai Bombers and Pune Hawks, with the former emerging victorious. Faiz Hashmi was awarded the Best Player in the junior division.
The event concluded with a grand award ceremony presided over by state association leader and former Team India player Zuber Baig. As the players bask in their victories, they are now gearing up for the National Championship scheduled for January 2024, poised to represent the state footy team prowess at the national level competition.
Follow Footy Association of Maharashtra (FAM) / Maharashtra Giants state team here.
Maharashtra Giants win both divisions at South-West Zonal Championship 2023
Posted on Monday, February 20, 2023 by ARFAI,
Maharashtra Giants (Sr) champions with Indian Captain Mahesh Tirkey and former Indian Captain Sudip Chakraborty
The Maharashtra Giants emerged victorious in both the senior and junior divisions at the joint South-West Zonal Championship 2023 organised by ARFAI is association with Telangana Footy Association (TFA) on 26th February 2023 at the Gymkhana Maidan, Secunderabad, Telangana.
The tournament saw 150 players and officials from across the south and western region state teams including senior and junior divisions, return to playing Australian Rules Football after a long gap due to Covid. States that participated were Maharashtra Giants (Sr & Jr), Andhra Pradesh Magpies (Sr & Jr), Tamil Nadu Kangaroos (Sr & Jr), Telangana Saints (Sr & Jr) and Kerela Bombers (Sr).
The tournament was won by the experienced Maharashtra Giants teams in both senior and junior division. While the senior division Grand Final saw a very tough competition put in by the debutant Kangaroos senior team, the Giants defeated the Saints quite convincingly in the junior division.
The Fair play award was won by the Maharashtra Giants team, who displayed great sporting spirit on and off field. One of the major highlights of the tournament was the ‘Best Player – Junior Division’ award won by Maksood from the Giants, representing his state and participating at any inter-state level competition for the very first time.
Maharashtra Giants senior division captain and former Team India player Zuber Baig said, “The tournament was great and a special thanks to all the teams who have participated post Covid and played really well. Hope to see everyone grow each year with more energy and talent to showcase. A huge thank you to ARFAI and the Telangana state organising committee for the warm welcome and hosting a great tournament for us all”.
The zonal has now brought back the players together from different states after a long gap. This will motivate them to now start with regular practice and also grow in numbers in new districts in their own states. All players and leaders across the country would now be awaiting eagerly for the return of the biggest Footy tournament in the country, the ARFAI National Championship.
The tournament very importantly also marks the launch of a yearlong program to restart Footy activities in south-western states of India and bring back participants to the sport post pandemic, supported by the AFL and AFL Asia. ARFAI is grateful to all its supporters who contributed to the success of the tournament including AFL Asia and the Australian Consulate, Chennai.