Although P R Sreejesh defended the goal during India’s bronze-medal match against Germany in the Olympics, there’s another individual who has safeguarded hockey’s interests in the nation.
While everyone else was hyping and glorifying cricket, the Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik, safeguarded and promoted Hockey to such an extent that the team earned a medal at Tokyo Olympics.
His love for hockey began when he was the goalkeeper for his hockey team while studying at Doon. And it is because of this early passion, he has sponsored and supported both the men’s and women’s hockey teams since 2018.
The Olympic Victory
On August 3, when the women’s hockey team stunned Australia by qualifying for the semi-finals, the CM couldn’t resist his joy. Patnaik posted a video on social media of himself giving the squad a standing ovation.
Patnaik was thrilled beyond measure when the men in blue secured a bronze medal for India, ending a four-decade-long record.
His post on social media said- “Brilliant in blue. Congratulations to the Indian Men’s Hockey Team on their spectacular victory. This historic win in #Tokyo2020 will inspire future generations of athletes. All the very best for the future.”
Also Read: It Took Them 41 Years But The Indian Men’s Hockey Team Finally Did It
Manpreet Singh, the Indian men’s hockey team captain, hailed Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his support after the team won bronze in Tokyo on Thursday.
“This dream won’t be possible without the encouragement & vision of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik Ji, who has been supporting us throughout this journey – thank you so much sir from the team and I,” Manpreet tweeted.
Odisha And Its Hockey Obsession
Hockey has been a popular sport in the state for more than a decade. Hockey tournaments are treated as festivals since the sport is so popular. A groom in Odisha, the joke goes, does not need to have a good career or a lot of money, but he must have hockey medals or goals to his name.
Following the withdrawal of the Sahara business group as a sponsor of the hockey teams, Odisha became the first state in the country to sign a five-year sponsorship agreement for both men’s and women’s national teams, signing a contract worth Rs. 120 crores in 2018. Apart from that, the state treasury bears the whole cost of both teams’ boarding, training, education, and talent development.
Odisha also hosted the Men’s Hockey Worldcup in its Kalinga Stadium in 2018, which drew more than 16 teams from five confederations and was a big success.
It will again host the Men’s Hockey World Cup for the second time in 2023, with games taking place in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. In Rourkela, the Patnaik government is constructing the country’s largest hockey stadium, which will seat 20,000 people and be named after tribal chieftain Birsa Munda.
Today, we look at the big feat that has led to India’s comeback in hockey after a four-decade break. And the bold letters on their blue jerseys tell us a story, a journey, and a lifetime of support and honor which no other state would have ever given to them.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: India Today; Times Of India; DNA India
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This post is tagged under: hockey; Indian Hockey; Indian Hockey Team; Men’s Hockey; Women’s Hockey; Odisha in Hockey; Odisha; Bhubaneswar hockey; Kalinga Stadium; Odisha CM; Naveen Patnaik; Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik; TOKYO OLYMPICS; Tokyo Olympics; Indian Hockey in Tokyo Olympics; Olympics Village; Tokyo; Olympics 2020; Sports; Sports news; Hockey updates; Manpreet Singh; chief minister of Odisha; Pride of India; bronze medal; Medal in Olympics; Bronze Medal by India; India wins; Sports
