Odisha hockey players felicitated by Chief Minister for good show at Tokyo Olympics

Indian hockey players Amit Rohidas, Birendra Lakra, Deep Grace Ekka and Namita Toppo were felicitated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Kalinga Stadium on Wednesday. The players were part of the Indian hockey teams that created history in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics 2021.

A cash award of INR 2.5 crores each was handed over to Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas while Deep Grace Ekka and Namita Toppo were presented with INR 50 lakhs each.

The Odisha Chief Minister also handed over an offer letter for an appointment as Deputy Superintendent of Police in the State Police department to both the men’s hockey team players. He also appreciated the performance of the team in winning the bronze medal after a gap of four decades.

The Chief Minister commended the spirited fight of the women’s team in reaching the semi-finals and creating history in Indian hockey. Lauding their performance, the CM advised them to continue their hard work and bring more laurels to the country and assured them of the state's full support in the future.

Odisha's Kalinga Stadium to host Hockey World Cup

Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar is a global hub for hockey. The venue will play host to the next edition of the Hockey World Cup. The Indian players have fond memories of playing at the Kalinga Stadium as they have competed against the best in the world at the venue, which helped them in their journey to the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

The Odisha players expressed gratitude towards the Chief Minister for supporting Indian hockey, which led to wonderful results at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. The Olympians were elated that the state government had fulfilled its commitment towards providing cash rewards and jobs on the player's arrival.

𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝑶𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂! Our #Olympic hockey heroes return home after scripting history at #Tokyo. Welcome back! 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/i7YKNyN98z

— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) August 10, 2021

Birendra Lakra and Deep Grace Ekka, the vice-captains of the hockey teams, presented a team jersey to the Chief Minister with signatures of all the team members.

Hockey players from the High-Performance Center and the sports hostel were also present during the ceremony.