Odisha Chief Minister (CM) Naveen Patnaik changed the face of hockey with his dedication and love for the game and the Indian team managed to bring an Olympic medal home after 41 years.
The 74-year-old CM of Odisha, an eastern Indian state, has been ruling for the past 21 years and his love for hockey hasn’t waned since childhood.
Naveen Patnaik has had a keen interest in the sport since his school days and he used to play as a goalie in the team.
Well played!
Congratulate Indian Men’s #Hockey Team on registering a stunning victory in the quarter-final against Great Britain at #Tokyo2020. May the team continue its momentum & bring much awaited medal for the country. Wish the team all the best.#Cheer4India @thehockeyindia pic.twitter.com/9eBkrlyxY1
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 1, 2021
Since 2018, Odisha government started taking interest in supporting men’s and women’s national hockey teams and stepped in as a sponsor.
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The CM initiated a support plan worth millions of dollars for building infrastructure and logistical support.
Apart from this, the state government bore all expenses of boarding, training, education, and nurturing young talent.
Ensuing, the men in blue earned a bronze medal for India and broke the jinx spanning over 4 decades.
The sports enthusiasts said the team won because of the love and dedication of Patnaik and Odisha government.
In contrast, the players remained forlorn in Pakistan and the country couldn’t even bag a single medal at Tokyo Games.
Hockey remains a favorite sport in the sub-continent and it was quite unconventional that a state took responsibility for nurturing talent in India and eventually reaped the fruit of its efforts.
Pakistani social media users said financial support is mandatory for the players to perform well in any event which was comprehended well by the Odisha government.
They lamented that athletes in Pakistan still have to support themselves as the governments keep the subject on the back burner.