During a felicitation program organized to honor both the men’s and women’s organization, Patnaik announced that Odisha would continue to sponsor Indian hockey teams for the next 10 years.
Each player was awarded Rs 10 lakh and the support staff was given Rs 5 lakh by the Chief Minister of the state which has been the cornerstone of Indian hockey for the past few years.
As a token of appreciation, each member of the team presented a framed jersey signed by the players to the Chief Minister.
“This bronze medal may have been won by us as sportspersons, but in reality, it equally belongs to India, a gift from Honorable Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik ji, whose vision and constant encouragement helped us win Olympic medals after 41 years. helped him achieve his dream. years,” Manpreet said.
“He is a pillar of support for each of us, and this dream would not have been possible to achieve without his guidance and continued support.”
Memorable moments with legends on Blue Turf! Meets Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri @Naveen_Odisha… https://t.co/9mPljdYY3j
— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) 162920713000
Addressing the gathering, Patnaik said, “You have made us all very proud with your spirited fight in Tokyo. These are very emotional moments for India to witness the revival of Indian hockey.
“For almost four decades, hockey fans have been yearning for India to win a medal at the Olympics.
“The way the entire nation was glued to the screens to watch the matches of the hockey teams, it is quite clear that there is something more to hockey than just a game.”
The last time the Indian team won a medal at the Olympics was in the 1980 Moscow Games, when the country claimed the top spot.
Patnaik said, “In the backdrop of the Kovid pandemic, it is remarkable that our teams worked hard despite all the challenges and came out victorious.”
“In this time of crisis, teams have brought smiles to the faces of crores of Indians. We should all be grateful for our boys and girls.”
He said, “I believe Odisha and hockey are destined to be synonymous. We will continue our partnership with Hockey India. Odisha will support Indian hockey teams for 10 more years.
“It will usher in a new era of Indian hockey and bring back the pride of the nation.”
The Chief Minister also presented 13 awards.
In the men’s team, Harmanpreet Singh won an award for most goalscoring, PR Sreejesh was awarded for most goalscoring, Neelkant Sharma won the award for most assists.
There were also awards for Rupinder Pal Singh (maximum defensive tackles), Harmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas (maximum interceptions in midfield).
In the women’s team, Gurjit Kaur and Vandana Kataria won the award for scoring the most goals, while savita punia He was rewarded for his work in the post.
Rani Rampal and Navneet Kaur jointly won the award for most assists, while Deep Grace Ekka Won it for the maximum number of defensive tackles.
P Sushila Chanu Was recognized for maximum interceptions in midfield.
All the players were given a prize of Rs 5 lakh each.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra was also felicitated by the Chief Minister for his role in the revival of hockey during his tenure as Head of Hockey India.
Batra said, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Honorable Chief Minister Shri 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. Am.
“With your continued support, Indian Hockey would like to build on the achievements of the Tokyo Olympics, and continue this steady growth to take Indian Hockey back to the distinguished level it is at.”
He also felicitated the Chief Minister and other dignitaries for their unconditional support to the sports and national teams.
Gyanandro Ningombam, President, Hockey India said, “It is indeed a happy time for Indian hockey as our men’s and women’s hockey teams have achieved historic results in the Tokyo Olympics.
“In 2009, when Hockey India was formed, the primary objective of the federation was to bring back the glory days of hockey in the country.
“This could not have been achieved for the unconditional support of the Odisha State Government under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik ji who is himself an ardent lover of sports.”
“Our team has always been so welcomed when we come here that Odisha now feels like the home of Indian hockey,” said Rani, captain of the national women’s hockey team.
Earlier in the day, the teams were accorded a rousing welcome at the airport here.
.