BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Government on Monday extended its sponsorship agreement of the Indian national hockey teams for a further ten years – from 2023 to 2033.
The sponsorship extension was approved at the state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday.
The current agreement was entered into by the Odisha Mining Corporation Ltd (OMC) with Hockey India, after due Government approval, for sponsorship of the Indian hockey teams (men/women, senior/junior) for a period of five years from 2018 to 2023.
The Odisha Government has been the official sponsor of both the men and women national hockey teams since 2018.
Based on a request from Hockey India for extension of the agreement, OMC Ltd had sought the approval of the state government, which secured the cabinet nod Monday. OMC has now committed to sponsor for a further period of ten (10) years i.e., from 1st February 2023 to 31st January 2033 and a total amount of Rs 434.12 crores (excluding applicable taxes) will be released by OMC to Hockey India during this period.
The Odisha government has been a key promoter of the sport of hockey and the state’s partnership with Hockey India has played a crucial role in the revival of the sport in the country. The achievements by both the teams at the Tokyo Olympics where the men’s team won a Bronze medal after 41 years and the women’s team reached the semi-finals for the first time have been significant realisations.
“Hockey, being a widely popular sport among the youth in Odisha, with this decision, government aims to provide further boost to the sport and attract more young players towards the sport, which will help in creation of a strong pipeline of talent in the state. Further, there will be a consolidation of the brand visibility of ‘Odisha’ as a ‘Global hub for Hockey’, thereby contributing to the sport, business, and tourism sector in the state. India has a rich hockey legacy. With the support of the Odisha government, Hockey India can build on this legacy and help the country regain its position as a hockey powerhouse,” according to a state government release.
