Indian males’s hockey staff captain Manpreet Singh on Tuesday mentioned their bronze medal at Tokyo Olympics is a present to the nation from Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who’s an ardent supporter of the game.
During a felicitation programme organised to honour each the boys’s and the ladies’s outfit, which narrowly missed out on a bronze in Tokyo, Patnaik introduced that Odisha will proceed to sponsor the Indian hockey groups for an additional 10 years.
Each participant was awarded Rs 10 lakh and the assist employees was given Rs 5 lakh by the chief minister of the state that has been Indian hockey’s base for the previous few years.
As a token of appreciation, every staff member gifted a framed jersey autographed by the gamers to the chief minister.
“This bronze medal may have been won by us as players, but in truth, it equally belongs to India, a gift from the honourable chief minister Shri Naveen Patnaikji whose vision and constant encouragement helped us achieve our dream of winning an Olympic medal after 41 years,” Manpreet mentioned.
“He is a pillar of support for each one of us, and this dream wouldn’t be possible to achieve without his guidance and continued support.”
Addressing the gathering, Patnaik, mentioned, “You made us all so proud together with your spirited struggle at Tokyo. These are deeply emotional moments for India to witness the revival of Indian hockey.
“For almost 4 many years, the hockey followers have been craving to see India seize a medal on the Olympics.
“The way the entire country was glued to the screens to watch the hockey teams’ matches, it is quite evident there is something more to hockey than just sports.”
The final time the Indian staff received a medal on the Olympics was within the 1980 Moscow Games, when the nation claimed the highest place.
“In the background of the COVID pandemic, it is remarkable that our teams have worked so hard in spite of all challenges and emerged victorious,” Patnaik mentioned.
“In these crisis times, the teams have brought smiles on the faces of crores of Indians. We all should be thankful to our boys and girls.”
He added, “I imagine, Odisha and hockey are destined to develop into synonymous. We will proceed our partnership with Hockey India. Odisha will assist the Indian hockey groups for 10 extra years.
“This will herald a new era of Indian hockey and bring back the glory to the nation.”
The chief minister additionally gave away 13 awards.
In the boys’s staff, Harmanpreet Singh received an award for the utmost variety of targets scored, PR Sreejesh was rewarded for the utmost variety of targets saved, Nilakanta Sharma received the award for the utmost variety of assists.
There have been additionally awards for Rupinder Pal Singh (most variety of defensive tackles), Harmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas (most interceptions within the midfield).
In the ladies’s staff, Gurjit Kaur and Vandana Katariya received the award with most variety of targets scored, whereas Savita Punia was rewarded for her work on the submit.
Rani Rampal and Navneet Kaur collectively received the award for the utmost variety of assists, whereas Deep Grace Ekka received it for optimum variety of defensive tackles.
P Sushila Chanu was recognised for optimum interceptions within the midfield.
All gamers have been awarded Rs 5 lakh every.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra was additionally felicitated by the chief minister for taking part in a job in hockey’s revival throughout his tenure because the chief of Hockey India.
Batra mentioned, “I want to take this chance to thank the honourable chief minister Shri Naveen Patnaik Ji and the individuals of Odisha for exhibiting their love and affection for the game of hockey and serving to our groups obtain the Olympic dream for India.
“With your continued support, Indian hockey will look to build on the achievements from the Tokyo Olympics, and continue this steady rise to take Indian hockey back to the elite level where it belongs.”
He additionally felicitated the chief minister and different dignitaries current for his or her unconditional assist to the game and the nationwide groups.
Hockey India president Gyanendro Ningombam mentioned, “This is certainly a jubilant time for Indian hockey with each our women and men’s hockey groups attaining historic outcomes on the Tokyo Olympics.
“In 2009, when Hockey India was shaped, the first purpose of the federation was to deliver again the glory days for hockey within the nation.
“It could not have been attained but for the unconditional support of Odisha state government under the leadership of the honourable chief minister Shri Naveen Patnaik ji who is himself a passionate lover of the sport.”
Captain of the nationwide ladies’s hockey staff, Rani, mentioned, “Our team is always made to feel so welcome when we come here that Odisha feels very much like the home of Indian hockey now.”
Earlier within the day, the groups arrived to a rousing welcome on the airport right here.
