The Odisha government honoured the Indian Hockey team for their remarkable achievement of securing the Bronze Medal at the recent Olympic Games by organising a “Vijay Utsav” at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday.
The Indian hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh and featuring Odia star Amit Rohidas, clinched the Bronze Medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a decisive victory over Spain. The Vijay Utsav kicked off with an energetic parade from Biju Patnaik Airport to Kalinga Stadium, culminating in a grand celebration of the nation’s sporting heroes with thousands of people and hundreds of folk artists joining the road show. The road show was a true testament to the state’s unwavering support for hockey and its deep connection with the sport as stated by state Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced ₹15 lakh for each player, ₹10 lakh for the support staff, ₹50 lakh for PR Sreejesh, and ₹4 crore for Odisha’s star, Amit Rohidas.
The Odisha government is now focusing on enhancing grassroots-level infrastructure to promote sports across the state. This strategic move aligns with Majhi’s vision to build a robust sports ecosystem and elevate the overall sports culture in the state. Building upon commitment to hockey, Majhi has announced a further extension of Odisha’s sponsorship of Indian hockey until 2036, which aligns with the state’s ambitious ‘Vision Odisha: 2036’, which celebrates Odisha’s centenary.
Suraj added, “This grand celebration not only honours our athletes’ remarkable achievements but also underscores Odisha government’s pivotal role in advancing sports both nationally and internationally. We reaffirm our focus on nurturing talent and building a robust sports infrastructure for the future from the grassroots level. Govt. will leave no stone unturned in creating robust infrastructure setup at the ground level to develop more players Olympic ready…”
