Pyari Xaxa’s Personal Details
Name: Pyari Xaxa
Date of Birth: 18 May 1997
Place of Birth: Sundergarh, Odisha, India
Position: Forward
Pyari Xaxa is regarded as one of the most dynamic forwards in Indian women’s football. Known for her explosive pace, intelligent movement, and clinical finishing, she has been a consistent attacking threat for both club and country. Her speed on the field has often earned her comparisons to a “Ferrari,” highlighting the rapid acceleration and attacking energy she brings to the Indian national side.
Over the course of her career, Xaxa has established herself as one of India’s most reliable goal scorers. A two-time Indian Women’s League (IWL) champion and a National Games gold medalist, she has achieved success at both domestic and international levels. Her performances have also been recognised with several awards, including the AIFF Women’s Promising Player of the Year (2015) and the FPAI Indian Women’s Player of the Year (2025).
As of 2026, Xaxa has represented India in more than 40 international matches and scored 18 goals, making her one of the prominent attacking figures in the national team setup.
Pyari Xaxa was born on 18 May 1997 in Jhartarang village in Sundergarh district, Odisha, a region that has produced several footballers for India. Like many young players from rural football communities, her introduction to the sport came through informal matches played in her village.
During her early years, she frequently played alongside boys in local games, which helped her develop both her physical strength and competitive mindset. Her first structured football experience came with a local club in Kunwarmunda (also spelled Kuarmunda), where she began formal training and competitive matches. These early opportunities helped her build the foundation for a professional career, allowing her to showcase her speed and goal-scoring instincts from a young age.
Pyari’s professional breakthrough came in 2016 when she signed with Rising Students Club to compete in the inaugural season of the Indian Women’s League (IWL). She made an immediate impact in the 2016-17 season, scoring 14 goals in the tournament. Her goals played a key role in helping the club reach the final, where they finished runners-up to Eastern Sporting Union.
In the following 2017-18 season, Xaxa continued her strong performances and contributed important goals as Rising Students Club won the Indian Women’s League title, confirming her status as one of the league’s most dangerous attackers.
Ahead of the 2021-22 season, Xaxa captained Odisha Police in the Odisha Women’s League. Her leadership and goal-scoring contributions helped the team win the state championship and secure qualification for the national league. She later represented Sports Odisha in the 2021–22 Indian Women’s League, where she scored 12 goals in 10 matches, once again demonstrating her consistency as a striker.
In 2022, Xaxa became the first signing for Odisha FC Women, marking the beginning of a new phase in her career. During the 2022–23 Odisha Women’s League, she played a crucial role in helping the club win its first regional title, scoring 11 goals during the campaign. However, her progress was temporarily interrupted by a knee injury in early 2023, which required surgery and kept her out of competitive action for a period.
After recovering from injury, she returned strongly for the 2023–24 Indian Women’s League season, scoring 8 goals and finishing as Odisha FC Women’s top scorer. Her performances were instrumental in helping the club win its first Indian Women’s League title. With 31 goals in 30 appearances, Xaxa became the all-time leading goal scorer for Odisha FC Women, highlighting her influence in the club’s history.
Pyari Xaxa began representing India at youth level before breaking into the senior national team. She was part of the India U-19 squad during the 2015 AFC U-19 Women’s Championship qualifiers, where she gained valuable international experience.
Later in 2015, she made her senior debut for India at the age of 18, marking the beginning of a long association with the national team. One of her early international achievements came in 2016, when she was part of the Indian squad that won the South Asian Games gold medal in Shillong. Throughout her international career, Xaxa has contributed important goals in friendlies and international tournaments. Her performances during 2025 played a key role in helping India qualify for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
Career Highlights and Honours:
International
South Asian Games Gold Medal: 2016
Turkish Women’s Cup Runner-up: 2024
Club
Indian Women’s League Champion: 2017–18 (Rising Students Club)
Indian Women’s League Champion: 2023–24 (Odisha FC Women)
Odisha Women’s League Champion: 2022–23
Odisha Women’s League Champion: 2021–22 (Odisha Police)
Individual Awards
AIFF Women’s Promising Player of the Year: 2015
Indian Football Fans’ Player of the Year: 2020–21
FPAI Indian Women’s Player of the Year: 2025
Ekalabya Puraskar (Odisha): 2021, 2022
