The Indian men's and women's hockey teams, which performed brilliantly in the recently-concluded Tokyo Olympics 2020, were given a rousing welcome in Odisha. State Sports Minister TK Bahera and former Indian men's hockey team captain Dilip Tirkey were present to welcome both the teams at Bhubaneswar airport. Posters, banners and billboards were put up across the city to welcome the Olympic heroes.
The players were taken to the hotel in two separate buses, where after taking rest they participated in the felicitation ceremony. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was also present in the ceremony at Lokseva Bhawan. The Chief Minister later attended a dinner party with both the teams at Kalinga Stadium.
Odisha government to continue to sponsor Indian Hockey teams for another 10 years
As per PTI, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday announced that the Odisha government would continue to sponsor the Indian Hockey teams for another 10 years, i.e till 2033.
“Odisha will support the Indian hockey teams for 10 more years. This will herald a new era of Indian hockey and bring back the glory to the nation,” said Patnaik.
The Government of Odisha is the official sponsor of the Indian Hockey teams since 2018. The men's team won a medal for India at the Tokyo Olympics after 41 years. On the other hand, the women's team made it to the semi-finals for the first time.
The players were welcomed with conch shells, flower garlands and tika upon arrival. Apart from this, traditional and folk dance groups of Odisha presented programs. The people of Odisha gathered on sides of the streets to cheer while welcoming their heroes.