Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, on Tuesday felicitated the Indian national hockey teams that scripted history, with their brilliant performance at the Tokyo Olympics, at a ceremony befitting the Olympic hockey heroes.
Recognising the achievements of the Indian men's and women's hockey teams at the Tokyo Olympics, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced on Tuesday that his government would continue to sponsor them for another 10 years.
Patnaik said, "We, in Odisha, are elated that our partnership with Hockey India has led to this great achievement for the country. I believe Odisha and hockey are destined to become synonymous. We will continue our partnership with Hockey India. Odisha will support the Indian hockey teams for 10 more years. This will herald a new era of Indian Hockey and bring back the glory to the nation."
The announcement by Patnaik came at a time, when both the men's and women's team captain including FIH president Narendra Batra and Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam were sitting on the same dais, a big round of applause came from players and the sports lovers inside the hall following the announcement.
Patnaik felicitated Captain Rani Rampal and the women's team, and Captain, Manpreet Singh and the men's team for bagging a bronze which was no less than a gold for India.
Each player was awarded Rs 10 lakh and each support staff was awarded Rs 5 lakh by the CM.
As a token of regards and appreciation, each team gifted a framed jersey autographed by the players to the chief minister.
Addressing the gathering, Patnaik, said, “You made us all so proud with your spirited fight at Tokyo.
These are deeply emotional moments for India to witness the revival of Indian
hockey. For nearly four decades, the hockey fans have been yearning to see
India grab a medal at the Olympics.
“The way the entire country was glued to the screens to watch the hockey teams’ matches; it is quite evident there is something more to hockey than just sports. In the back ground of the Covid pandemic, it is remarkable that our teams have worked so hard in spite of all challenges and emerged victorious. In these crisis times, the teams have brought smiles on the faces of crores of Indians. We all should be thankful to our boys and girls,” the CM added.
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Patnaik gave away 13 other awards and felicitated Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Dhruv Batra.
"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ji and the people of Odisha for showing their love and affection for the sport of hockey and helping our teams achieve the Olympic dream for India," Batra said at the event.
Patnaik also felicitated Odia doctor, Col. (DR). Bibhu Kalyan Nayak, who was appointed as the first Indian FIH Medical Officer for Tokyo Olympics and awarded him Rs 5 Lakhs at the ceremony.
Captain of the national women’s hockey team, Rani, said, “The team and I are very happy to be present here today as we wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the Odisha State Government for supporting our team. Our team is always made to feel so welcome when we come here that Odisha feels very much like the home of Indian hockey now.”
“Everyone knows that Odisha has sponsored and supported the women’s and men’s teams in the last few years, but very few people know that the people of Odisha have been a constant source of motivation and encouragement for our team. Just like Odisha is our home, the people of Odisha are like our own family,” she added.
Captain of the men’s team, Manpreet Singh, shared, “It feels good to be back here in Odisha, the place we call our home away from home, and now one of the biggest reasons behind our success at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. This Bronze Medal may have been won by us as players, but in truth, it equally belongs to India, a gift from the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik ji whose vision and constant encouragement helped us achieve our dream of winning an Olympic medal after 41 years. He is a pillar of support for each one of us, and this dream wouldn’t be possible to achieve without his guidance and continued support. Everyone here, has a special love for hockey, and it’s an honour to share that same love with them.”