FULL NAME: Bannya Kabiraj
NICK NAME: Puchu
GENDER: Female
BORN: 27 February, 2002 (Source: Football Association of Odisha and Odisha Olympic Association)
HOME ADDRESS: Dongriguda, Umarkote, Nabarangapur, Odisha, India
FAMILY: Bikash Chandra Kabiraj (Father), Sabita Kabiraj (Mother), Tuhin Kabiraj (Brother)
ACADEMIC EDUCATION: In the year 2021, she was a Plus-Two 2nd year student of City Womens Junior College, Bhubaneswar. Earlier studied at Kasturba Sikshyashrama Sishu Bidya Mandir, Bhubaneswar.
PROFESSION: Working at Odisha Police
HOME CLUB: Government Sports Hostel, Bhubaneswar
PLAYING POSITION: Mid-fielder
RECEIVED COACHING FROM: Bijay Kumar Kanungo, Gitanjali Khuntia, Sarita Jayanti Behera, Crispin Chettri
TEAMS REPRESENTED: Football Association of Odisha (Sub-junior Girls, Junior, U-21 and Senior Women); Rising Student Club and Odisha Police

MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS:

NATIONAL:
*     Represented Odisha in the 28th Senior Womens National Football Championship (Final Round) for Rajmata Jijabai Trophy, held in Kolkata from 2-11 May 2024.
*     She was part of the Odisha team that reached  semifinals before losing to Haryana in the 27th Senior Women National Football Championship 2023 (Final Round) at GNDU Main Ground in Amritsar on 26 June 2023.
*     She was part of the 20-member Odisha Women Football Team that won the Silver medal in the 36th National Games at  TransStadia in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 10 October 2022.
*     She was part of the Odisha U-21 women football team that won Bronze medal at the 3rd Khelo India Youth Games in Guwahati, Assam on 22 January, 2020.
*     She was a member of the Odisha team that finished runners-up in the Junior Girls National Football Championship, held at Cuttack from July 26 to August 10, 2017.
*     Attended India under-14 girls camp, held at Gandhi Nagar (Gujarat) from March 7 to April 20, 2016.
*     She was the captain of Odisha team that emerged Champion in the Sub-junior Girls National Football Championship, held at Cuttack from Jan 17 to Feb 2, 2016. Scored 12 goals in seven matches of the championship.
*     She was a member of the Odisha team that finished runners-up in the Junior Women National Football Championship, held in Goa from October 5 to 21, 2015. Scored one goal against Karnataka.
*     Represented Odisha in School National Football Championhip, held in Manipur in 2013.

INTERNATIONAL:
*     She was part of the Indian team that finished last by losing all four of their league matches in the in the BRICS Under-17 Women Football Tournament, held at Johannesburg in South Africa from July 15-23, 2018.
*     She was the captain of the Indian team that won the Silver medal in the SAFF U-15 Women’s Championship at the Birsrestha Saheed Mustafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur, Bangladesh on 24 December 2017.
*     She was the vice-captain of the Indian team that won the Silver Medal in the AFC U-14 Girls Regional Championship (South & Central Zone), held at Dushanbe in Tajikistan from April 26 to May 1, 2016.
*     She was a member of Indian team that reached semifinals in the AFC U-14 Girls Regional Football Championship, held at Kathmandu, Nepal in April, 2015.

MISCELLANEOUS:
*     She was part of the Odisha Police Women Team that bagged the Bronze medal in the 73rd BN Mullik Memorial All India Police Football Championship at Umakanta Stadium in Agartala, Tripura on 6 March 2025.
*     She was part of the Odisha FC team that emerged Champions for the first time in the Indian Womens League (IWL) at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar on 24 March 2024.
*     She was part of the Rising Students Club that won the Title in the 2nd Indian Women’s League (IWL), held at Shillong, Meghalaya from March 27 to April 14, 2018.

OTHER NOTABLE INFORMATION:
*     After being selected for U-20 Women’s National camp, Bannya is aiming to work her way to the Senior India team.
*     Started sports career with gymnastics after joining Sports Hostel, Cuttack in 2010.
*     But switched over to football as gymnastics was withdrawn from the list of disciplines at the Cuttack Hostel in 2011.
*     Started playing competitive football after joining Sports Hostel, Bhubaneswar in 2011.
*     Her father is a school teacher and football player, who in his hey days and represented his district team.
*     Good Samaritan Trust felicitated her with the Kumudini Krida Prativa Award and a cash prize of Rs 10,000 in Bhubaneswar on July 10, 2016.
*     She was in Kathmandu when a massive earthquake hit Nepal on April 25, 2015.

PFOFILE FIRST UPLOADED: 28 April 2015
PROFILE LAST UPDATED: 8 March 2025