I am proud of Odisha's important role in the revival of Indian hockey: CM Majhi

Bhubaneswar: After the historic victory of the Indian hockey team at the Paris Olympics, all the players and supporters were given a warm welcome on their arrival here on Wednesday. The players were felicitated in a grand function at the Assembly Hall of Lok Seva Bhavan.

In the event Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi awarded Rs15 lakh to each player of the Indian team. Odia player Amit Rohidas was given a special award of Rs4 crore. The team's goalkeeper PR Shreejesh was given a special award of Rs50 lakh. Similarly, four support staff members were given Rs10 lakh each.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Majhi said, “This bronze medal for the Indian hockey team is a call to arms for a solid golden future. I am proud of Odisha's significant role in the revival of Indian hockey. Odisha has always been a companion of the Indian hockey team.”

The Prime Minister said that Odisha and its people will continue to strongly support the national hockey team in all upcoming campaigns including the Los Angeles Olympics.

“Our government is fully behind our players. They are being given all kinds of facilities and incentives so that they can achieve even more success in the coming days. We are taking new measures for the development of hockey. We are ensuring that our players play at the peak of their abilities,” he added.

He said that since 1928, the Indian hockey team has won a total of 13 Olympic medals, including 8 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals in different editions of the Olympic Games.

The Chief Minister said that after winning the gold medal at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, two questions came to our minds. The first is when will we get our next medal? No one thought it would take 41 years. There were times when it seemed impossible. But the Indian team made the impossible possible by winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Then the question was whether we would regain our lost glory by winning consecutive medals as before. The Paris Olympics was the answer. For the first time since 1972, our team won consecutive medals and we brought back our glory.

The Chief Minister also said that sports is not just a competition, it is a powerful tool to build a nation. It teaches us unity, discipline and struggle. A game like hockey inspires us to face all the challenges of life and create our own identity. The motivation behind the success of the Indian team is that if we are united and stick to our goals, we can overcome any difficult situation, he added.

Finally, Chief Minister Majhi said, “Our sportspersons are our source of inspiration. The foundation for building a strong society. Sportspersons are the future of our state and country. I hope and believe that you will bring pride and glory to our country and state through your great achievements. In the sports field of Odisha, the role of sportspersons from remote areas is very important. It is from their own soil that our sportspersons start their journey towards a golden future in the world of sports. Therefore, we are committed to the holistic development of these sports talents from the grassroots level.”

In his welcome speech, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Suryabanshi Suraj said that what bronze is for the world, gold is for us. From Tokyo to Paris, we are all grateful that our players make us proud.

Indian hockey team goalkeeper PR Shreejesh said that Odisha is his second home. Odisha's promotion of hockey is an example for everyone today. He said that the love and respect we get in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela is not found anywhere else.

The players of the Indian team who were present at this felicitation ceremony were: Captain Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Vivek Sagar, Hardik Singh, Sukhjit Singh, Samsher Singh, Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, Rajkumar Pal, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Sumit, Sanjay, Abhishek, Amit Rohidas and PR Shreejesh. Four supporting staff members were also present with them.

International sand sculptor Padmashri Sudarshan Patnaik gifted a sand art portrait to the Indian hockey team. Patnaik was also felicitated on behalf of Hockey India.

Bhaskarjyoti Sharma, Principal Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs Department, delivered a vote of thanks at the programme.

Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey and senior officials from various departments and sportspersons were present at the programme.