FAO League

The FAO League or FAO First Division League is a premier state-level football league in Odisha. League is organised by Football Association of Odisha (FAO), the official football governing body of Odisha.[1]

FAO First Division League
Organising bodyFootball Association of Odisha (FAO)
Founded2010 (2010)
CountryIndia
ConfederationAll India Football Federation (AIFF)
Number of teams24
Level on pyramid4 (Indian football league system)
Promotion toI-League Qualifiers
Relegation toFAO 2nd Division League
Domestic cup(s)Kalinga Cup
League cup(s)FAO Super Cup
Current championsSports Odisha (1st title)
Most championshipsSunrise Club
(4 titles)
TV partnersOdisha TV

Since the inception of the FAO League, a total of five clubs have been crowned champions. Sunrise have won the most titles in league history, being crowned champions four times. Odisha Police have won the league twice whereas East Coast Railway, Sports Odisha, Radha Gobinda Club, and Radha Raman Club have won it once.

History

The FAO League was brought up as Siddhartha Odisha First Division League in 2010 as Odisha's premier level football league. Football Association of Odisha introduced league system to provide footballing talents of the state a platform to showcase their abilities. League system continued with the same format for seven years, until getting its revamp in 2018.

Format

In a total competition revamp, FAO League was converted from premier league of the state to second-highest level footballing league in 2018. League system currently has three tiers, Diamond, Gold' and Silver leagues.[2]

Qualification for Super Cup

From the 2017–18 season, after the release of revamped format, top four teams from Diamond, three from Gold and one from Silver leagues are drawn amongst each other to compete in the FAO Super Cup, an eight-team knockout tournament organised annually after FAO League stage.[3]

Clubs

Diamond
  • Sunrise Club
  • Odisha Police
  • Sports Hostel
  • Rising Students Club
  • East Coast Railway
  • Radha Raman Club
  • Jay Durga Club
  • Young Utkal Club

Gold
  • Bidanasi Club
  • Rising Star Club
  • Rovers Club
  • Mangala Club
  • Radha Gobinda Club
  • Sunshine Club

Silver A

Silver B
  • Independent Club
  • Chauliaganj Club
  • Club N Club
  • Town Club
  • Royal Club

Venues
Venues of the FAO Football League

Bhubaneswar

Cuttack

Champions
Season Winner Runners–up Venue
2010 East Coast Railway Rising Student's Club Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
2011 Odisha Police Radha Gobinda Club
2012 Odisha Police Jobra Durga Club
2013 Radha Gobinda Club Jobra Durga Club
2014 Sunrise Club East Coast Railway
2015 Sunrise Club Rising Student's Club
2016 Sunrise Club East Coast Railway
2017 Radha Raman Club Sunrise Club
2018 Sunrise Club Odisha Police
2019 Sports Odisha Rising Students Club

Championships by team
Club Titles Runners-Up Winning Seasons
Sunrise Club 4 1 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
Odisha Police 2 1 2011, 2012
East Coast Railway 1 2 2010
Radha Gobinda Club 1 1 2013
Sports Odisha 1 0 2019
Radha Raman Club 1 0 2017
Rising Student's Club 0 3 —
Jobra Durga Club 0 2 —

FAO Second Division League
SeasonChampionRunners-Up
2010Kishore ClubTown Club
2011Yuva Vandhu Cultural Group (YVCG)Lalbagh Club
2012Town ClubRoyal Club
2013Jay Bharat Cultural ClubUday Club
2014Lalbagh ClubRoyal Club
2016Club 'N' ClubRoyal Club
2017Chauliaganj ClubRoyal Club
2018FAO XIEleven Gun Club

See also

References
  1. "FAO First Division League". Orisports. 28 August 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  2. "FAO restructures domestic football". Football Association of Odisha. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  3. "All you need to know about the football league structure in Odisha". Goal. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
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