Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi felicitated Indian Men’s Hockey Team and support staff for winning a prestigious Bronze medal in the recently concluded Paris Olympics here today.
The 16-member squad, which included 11 members from the Bronze winning Team in Tokyo Olympics, created history by winning back-to-back medals for the first time since the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
During a special ceremony organised for this purpose here, the Chief Minister Shri Majhi felicitated each player of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team with Rs 15 and Rs 10 lakh to each member of the support staff.
Chief Minister also felicitated Amit Rohidas, the only player from Odisha in the Indian Men’s team, with a special cash award of Rs 4 crore.
Sreejesh, who played his final game for India, received a special recognition from Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi. He was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrating his outstanding contributions to Indian hockey and was felicitated with a total cash award of Rs 50 lakh.
Applauding the team for their historic win, Chief Minister Majhi said, “The award is in recognition of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team’s stellar performance. Their dedication, skill, and perseverance have not only brought pride to the nation but have also inspired the next generation. The state of Odisha remains committed to supporting the athletes and nurturing future talent in the sport.”
He said that since 1928, the Indian hockey team has won a total of 13 Olympic medals including 8 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals in various editions of the Olympics.
The Chief Minister said, “After winning the gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, two questions came to our minds. The first is – when will we get our next medal? No one thought it would take 41 years.”
There were times when it seemed impossible at one time. But the Indian team made the impossible possible by winning a medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Then there was the question of whether we would regain our heart by winning medals as before. The Paris Olympics was the answer. For the first time since 1972, the Indian Hockey team won back-to-back medals and brought back our glory once again, Majhi said.
The Chief Minister also said that sports is not just a competition, it is a powerful means of nation building. It teaches us unity, discipline and struggle. A game like hockey inspires us to face all the challenges of life and create our own identity.
“The motivation behind the success of the Indian team is that if we stick together and stick to our goals, we can overcome any difficult situation,” he stated.
In his welcome address, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said, “It is a bronze for the world, but for us, it is nothing less than gold. From Tokyo to Paris, we are all grateful to our players for making us feel proud.”
Goalkeeper of Indian hockey team P. R. Sreejesh said that Odisha is his second home. Odisha’s promotion for hockey is an example for everyone today. He said that the love and respect that we get in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela is not found anywhere else.
Earlier in the day, a rousing welcome was given to the hockey team after their arrival at Bhubaneswar airport this afternoon.
Among others, Deputy Chief Ministers, KV Singh Deo, Pravati Parida, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, DC Anu Garg and President of Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey remained present at the event.