Samaleswari

Samaleswari Sporting Club, also known as Samaleswari Sporting, is an Indian professional football club based in Sambalpur, Odisha. They participated in the 2025–26 I-League 3, the fourth tier of the Indian football league system. In the 2012 season, they participated in the I-League 2nd Division, the then second tier of football in India. The club has been confirmed to make its Indian Football League debut in the 2026–27 season, taking the place of Delhi FC.

The club was founded on 3 March 2006 at Pitapali located near Hirakud Reservoir, about 15 kms from the city of Sambalpur. The club's academy, known as Sambalpur Football Academy, was established on 22 November 2008. The academy was the initiative of the area's MLA Jayanarayan Mishra, Gouri Shankar Sahani and former Chief Minister Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo. Mishra serves as the Managing Trustee and Administrator of the academy. Samaleswari Sporting have played in state and regional level tournaments such as Churachand Singh Trophy, All-India knockout tournaments, Sambalpur Cup, and Biju Patnaik Memorial Trophy.

In January 2012, they were officially certified by the All India Football Federation to participate in the I-League 2nd Division, marking its official transition to professionalism. Samaleswari finished fifth in the group A and thus did not qualify for the next round. In the 2013 I-League 2nd Division, Samaleswari won once, drew once, and lost six times, which saw them second-last in their group.

Samaleswari played their first match in the 135th Durand Cup on 26 July, against Indian Army FC, under lights at the Kishore Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata. On 2 August 2026, they pulled off a historic upset against Mohammedan SC in the same tournament, beating the Indian Super League side 3-2.