Back in 2018 Sahara, one of the famous conglomerates ( a large firm which has several different companies in them) boycotted the Indian hockey team.
In the year 2018 Indian Hockey team was in crisis and the whole country realize how this could have been there last time watching their country’s hockey team competing against other nations.
The fate of Indian hockey team changed drastically when Naveen Patnaik’s government in Odisha agreed to sponsor both the men and women’s teams for the nest five years, the tables had turned for India.
The state which still is considered a poor state and also is hit by natural calamities every year could afford Rs 100 crore? Without a string of doubt three years later, the government of Odisha proved that no sport should be neglected and proudly announced their partnership with Hockey India and started their remarkable journey.
The last time India wore medals in hockey was a very different world. 1980 was the time of cold war, after World War II. Most of the countries had boycotted the Olympic games which was held in USSR. The cold war was between capitalist bloc which was led by US which disintegrated in 1990.
During that time Indira Gandhi had come back to power after Emergency government was in trial. Chief Minister who held the record of holding the position for the longest time period was soon broken by the next Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik.
It is evident that they did not hold any role in the 1980’s Olympics but soon they became the savior of the ‘once favorite’ game of the whole nation.
The government of Odisha holds a special role in the victory that India has achieved in the Tokyo Olympic Games. Naveen Patnaik shares credit for the support that was given to both the teams in the form of Rs 100 crore.
Naveen Patnaik himself had been a hockey enthusiast when he was young and had played the sport when he was a student in school at Doon.
The women’s hockey team had gotten a lot better over the past years and have been making history. Last Olympics, the women’s hockey team had lost by a very thin line but managed to win a lot of hearts and a separate fan base for the excellent gameplay that they displayed.
Also read: Naveen Patnaik lauded as India’s men hockey team won bronze, here’s why
Presently the Odisha government hold the sponsorship of the Indian hockey team till 2023.