Odisha government felicitates Olympic bronze-winning Indian men’s hockey team

Carrying forward the legacy of the previous dispensation, the Odisha Government, the principal sponsor of the Indian hockey team until 2036, on Wednesday rose to the occasion and organised a grand welcome for the Indian side, which won its second consecutive bronze medal in the Paris Olympics.

Tribal folk dancers performed at the Biju Patnaik airport here to welcome the players on their arrival from Delhi. Then, captain Harmanpreet Singh and his men were taken out in a bus in a procession as hundreds of youth on motorcycles escorted them.

Banners welcoming the players were all over the city, and posters of the Olympic bronze-winning side adorned the platforms along the route to the players’ hotel.

READ | From Sreejesh’s No. 16 to Maradona’s No. 10, instances of teams retiring jerseys to honour legends

At a function organised in the evening, all the members of the team, including goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh, who played his last international match in the bronze medal contest against Spain, and midfielder Hardik Singh, with his left hand (which he injured during the game again Spain) in sling, and local favourite Amit Rohidas, were felicitated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers K.V. Singh Deo and Pravati Parida and former India captain and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.

The players were given cheques of Rs 15 lakh each, barring Rohidas and Sreejesh, while the support staff were given Rs 10 lakh each apart from mementos.

Rohidas was awarded Rs 4 crore, while Sreejesh got Rs 50 lakh.

“Odisha is our second home. Feels at home. When I go to my village, I tell them we must learn from Odisha and what they do for sports. The support we get in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, we don’t get it anywhere else. These memories will stay with me forever,” said Sreejesh.

Famous sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik handed a photo frame of his work to the Indian team members.

“The Indian hockey team has made the country proud by winning bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris Olympics. I want to assure everyone that as the team prepares for the Los Angeles Olympics, the people of Odisha will support it,” said Majhi.

Later, the government hosted the players over state dinner.