Jamkhunta Storms into Final with a Convincing 3-1 Win: Defeats Kantabanji in the Second Semi-Final of the 17th Raja Anup Singh Deo Memorial Football Tournament

Khariar: The second semi-final of the 17th Raja Anup Singh Deo Memorial Football Tournament was played at the historic Raja Artatrana Sports Ground in Khariar, where Jamkhunta of Balangir district registered an impressive 3-1 victory over Kantabanji to secure a place in the grand final. The match between the two strong teams of Balangir district was highly competitive and thrilling from the beginning. Both sides displayed attacking football and created several exciting moments, keeping the spectators engaged throughout the game. However, Jamkhunta maintained its dominance and eventually sealed a 3-1 victory over Kantabanji within the stipulated playing time. Khariar NAC Chairman Ujjwal Gupta attended the match as the Chief Guest. BJP State Executive Committee Member Lambodar Nial, BJP Yuva Morcha District President Gyan Ranjan Megh, and Khariar NAC Vice-Chairperson Shakuntala Raut were present as Guests of Honour. All the councillors of Khariar NAC also attended the match and encouraged the players of both teams. The match was officiated by Football Association of Odisha official referees Tapas Pati, Sourav Panda and Amulya Barik. Vedanta Pradhan handled the scoring, while Prakash Patra, Dhananjaya Mallik and Nandu Sahu provided live commentary. Members of the Raja Anup Singh Deo Memorial Football Trust, including President Ankit Singh Deo, Secretary Jitendra Nayak, Vice-President Prabhudatta Goud, Treasurer Biswa Ranjan Panda, Joint Treasurer Punyatosh Mund, along with Rupesh Tahani, Bibek Pod, Sushant Kumar Swain, Shyam Nag, Basanti Majhi, Aqib Raja, Jhintu Mahapatra, Prashanti Pattnaik, Niranjan Pod, Mohammad Arif, Gudu Panigrahi, Sushant Sahu, Harihar Sahu and Shiv Mahapatra, extended their cooperation in successfully conducting the tournament. The much-awaited final will be played on August 15, Independence Day, between Jamkhunta and Boden. With both teams securing their places in the final, football enthusiasts in Khariar are eagerly looking forward to an exciting title clash.