Odisha government to sponsor Indian hockey team

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha government entered into a deal to sponsor India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams for the next five years.

The announcement was made at an event in New Delhi, attended by Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, officials of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Hockey India and players. The new jerseys, with ‘Odisha’ and ‘India’ written on them, were officially released at the event.

“Hockey in Odisha is more than a sport, it’s a way of life, especially in our tribal regions where children learn to walk with hockey sticks,” the CM said. This is a first where a state government will not just be promoting a sport within its boundaries, but will also be supporting and nurturing India hockey, he said.


Hockey stars, past and present, including Dilip Tirkey, Viren Rasquinha and Dhanraj Pillay, endorsed Odisha’s position as a favourite among hockey players.

Bhubaneswar has hosted the Hockey India League matches, the 2014 Champions Trophy and last year’s Hockey World League Final. The state is also the host and title sponsor of the men’s World Cup to be held from November 28 to December 16 this year.

Speaking at the event, FIH president Narinder Batra suggested that Odisha build a state-of-the-art high-performance centre for elite athletes of the country.