Bhubaneswar (Odiha Tazanew) :- The Odisha Cup Sports Association of UAE successfully conducted the 12th Edition Grand Finale of Odisha Cup 2025 on 25 January 2026 at The Seven District Club, Ajman, bringing together the Prabasi Odia community for a remarkable celebration of cricket, culture, and unity. The final match was played between Kalinga Warriors and Utkal Rising Stars in front of a vibrant crowd of families and supporters from across the UAE.
Utkal Rising Stars won the toss and chose to bat first, and a disciplined bowling performance from Kalinga Warriors restricted them to 127 runs for 10 wickets in 20 overs. In response, Kalinga Warriors fought hard but fell short of the target, scoring 102 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Rajendra Pallai was declared Player of the Match for his exceptional spell of 4 wickets in 4 overs, conceding only 16 runs and playing a decisive role in the outcome of the game.
The grand finale was graced by popular Ollywood actress Miss Shivani Sangita as the Chief Guest, who encouraged both teams and appreciated the organizers for conducting what she described as the world’s biggest Prabasi Odia cricket tournament outside India. She expressed her happiness at being part of such a significant event that brings together Odias in the UAE. Mr. Priyadarshi Panigrahi,
Odisha Cup Advisor and Senior Business Management Expert, described the event as the largest in-person gathering of Prabasi Odias in the Middle East and North Africa, highlighting the growing stature of Odisha Cup as a platform for sportsmanship, cultural celebration, and community bonding among Odias living abroad. This year’s Odisha Cup witnessed a record participation of 18 teams from all Emirates, making it the largest edition since the tournament began in 2014.
The final match turned into a festive gathering, with Odia families attending in large numbers and enjoying traditional Odia snacks and dishes arranged at the venue, adding cultural flavor to the sporting occasion. The successful organization of this mega event was made possible by the dedicated efforts of the senior members of the Odisha Cup Sports Association, including Rajat Rath,
Dr. Sambhram Pattanayak, Nirlipta Mohanty, and core members Abanikanta Patro, Chinmay Kumar Jena, Imdam Mohammed, Dev Mishra, Amriten Chatterjee, Jyoti Ranjan Panda, Sujit Khatua, Ashish Nayak, Ajit Patra, Duryadhana Pradhan, and Soumya Ranjan Panda, who devoted their valuable time to conduct the largest Prabasi Odia cricket tournament in the region.
