Manipur won the 24th Senior Women's National Football Championships title defeating hosts Odisha 2-1 in the final at Cuttack on Monday.
A dominant force in women's football, this is Manipur's 19th title, having played in all but one title match. In 2011, Odisha defeated West Bengal 5-0 to win their lone title.
In the previous edition, Manipur lost to Tamil Nadu. Manipur's other final defeats were against West Bengal, twice in 1992 and 1997, and Railways in 2016.
Both Manipur and Odisha came into the final off the backs of two hard-fought matches in the semifinals. Manipur had got the better of the Railways team 4-3 in a penalty shootout as the match ended goalless after extra time.
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On the other hand, Odisha defeated defending champions Tamil Nadu in a thrilling match that ended 4-3, with the hosts finding the winner in extra time.
The final, held at the Barabati Stadium, was a nail-biting affair. After a tense start, it appeared as if the first half would end goalless but it was Manipur who took the lead thanks to captain Bala Ngangom, who found the net in the 45th minute.
Soon after the break, Prameshwori Irom doubled her team's lead with a goal in the 50th minute.
The hosts continued to strive for a comeback and found a goal with nine minutes to play via midfielder Arati Sethi.
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However, Manipur defended well to hold on for the win and went on to lift the trophy.
