Bhubaneswar: After a brilliant performance at the recent Tokyo Olympics, the Indian Hockey Teams (both men & women) arrived in Odisha today.
Reportedly, the members of the teams are scheduled to arrive at the Biju Patnaik International Airport at around 11.15 am today.
After spectacular performances by the teams, the Odisha government invited them for felicitation.
As per reports, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is said to meet the players in the evening.
Special arrangements have been made at Sandy’s Tower hotel that will host the stay of the team members.
Odisha’s hockey players who were part of the Indian men’s and women’s teams at the Tokyo Olympics were felicitated by state chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday.
While Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas were awarded Rs 2.5 crores each following the national men team’s historic bronze-medal winning feat in Tokyo, Deep Grace Ekka and Namita Toppo were handed Rs 50 lakhs each after the women’s side reached the semifinal stage for the first time in Olympics.
Patnaik also handed Lakra and Rohidas offer letters for appointment as Deputy Superintendent of Police in the State Police department during the felicitation program at the Kalinga Stadium here.
The Indian men’s team won bronze with a 5-4 win over four-time champions Germany. It was India’s first Olympic medal in hockey in 41 years. The women’s team reached the knockouts for the first time in their history and stunned gold medal favourites Australia to reach the semi-finals. They lost to Argentina after which they lost to Great Britain in the bronze medal match. The team finished fourth, matching their best-ever finish at an Olympics.
In February 2018, when Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled a mega five-year deal worth Rs 150 crores with Hockey India (HI) at a gala event in New Delhi, everybody was left surprised. Patnaik’s announcement relieved the Indian hockey teams since beleaguered official team sponsor Sahara had to pull out under an unprecedented situation.
In the last five years, Bhubaneswar hosted three top-notch tournaments- Hockey Champions Trophy 2014, Hockey World League 2017 and the Hockey World Cup 2018, among others.
The promised fund for the development of junior, men’s and women’s hockey teams have been provided by the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), a profit-making PSU, the main sponsor for all hockey events that would be played at Kalinga Stadium over the next five years.
The state has over the years produced greats like Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Lazarus Barla and Sunita Lakra. The current Indian team has Birendra Lakra, vice-captain of men’s team, and Deep Grace Ekka, vice-captain of women’s team. The common link between them all is their home district of Sundargarh.
