Men’s, women’s hockey teams in Odisha for grand felicitation
The men’s and women’s hockey team of India, which put up a sterling performance at the recent Tokyo Olympics 2020, landed in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday to a grand felicitation by the Odisha government.
The men’s hockey team won a bronze, 41 years after it won a medal in the Moscow Olympics, while the women’s hockey team reached the semifinal for the first time. The Odisha government signed a ₹100 crore deal with Hockey India in 2018 to sponsor both teams for the next five years.
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On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had hosted the teams along with other Olympians at his official residence. After landing at the Bhubaneswar airport, the hockey teams were driven to a hotel in the state capital, where they will stay for two days and felicitated.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to announce some cash reward for each of them during a felicitation ceremony at the Kalinga stadium, said officials. In Puri, sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik installed a sand art on the beach, welcoming the teams to Odisha.
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Last week, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated four men and women hockey players of the state and gave them cash rewards. He gave cheques for ₹2.5 crore each to Indian men’s hockey team vice-captain Birendra Lakra and defender Amit Rohidas and ₹50 lakh each to Deep Grace Ekka and Namita Toppo of women’s team.
Patnaik also handed Lakra and Rohidas offer letters for appointment as Deputy Superintendent of Police in the state police department.
-PTC News with inputs from agencies
