BHUBANESHWAR: The state of Odisha has been actively backing football, along with other sports. The effort has seen some success in the last few years, with some national-level teams shifting base to the state. In continuation of that, Tankadhar Bag has become the first Odiya player to be selected in the Indian Arrows team, which will play in the I-League starting in January.
A trainee at the state government-run Bolangir Sports Hostel, Tankadhar was part of the Indian team that won the SAFF U-18 Championship in 2019. The defender's inclusion in the Indian Arrows team, which is made up of promising junior players of the country, is a step in the right direction. It bodes well for the state which has been the home for Indian Arrows team for the last few years.
"Tankadhar is one of those players who didn't achieve success overnight. Hard work has paid off for him. The state government's support to the AIFF has created a platform for budding local talents to prove their mettle," said national U-16 team coach Suvendu Panda.
"These players are talented and they got exposure at the right time. Apart from domestic matches, they played more than 30 games overseas during their one and-a-half years of stay at the national camp," added Panda.
"I am extremely happy as I am going to play against senior and overseas players in the I-League. What I am today is because of the support of the Odisha government, my coach Suvendu Panda and others in the support staff. I was a raw talent when I was included in the junior national camp, but I slowly gathered knowledge of how to go about it as part of a team," said Tankadhar.