Bhubaneswar: In a changed political scenario, the priorities have changed in Odisha. The man who recently catapulted the moribound Indian hockey team to the global limelight, has to wait almost 12 hours to meet the Olympian medal winning Indian hockey team back in India. The former chief minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik felicited the Olympic Bronze medal winner Indian hockey team on Thursday morning.
Patnaik, in fact, had invited the victorious hockey team for felicitation at 7PM on Wednesday. But, the Team didn’t turned up for the felicitation function. The Indian hockey team skipped the appointment for the dinner hosted by the chief minister Mohan Majhi in its honour.
The Indian hockey team was given a rousing welcome by the State government on their arrival at Bhubaneswar Biju Patnaik International Airport. The team was felicitated by the chief minister at a function held in the Convention Hall of the State secretariat. There was a photo-ops with the CM at the Kalinga Stadium.
Naveen Patnaik, who is now the leader of the opposition in the State Assembly, felicitated the Indian hockey team members presenting scarf and filigree Konark Wheel. He told that the the State and the national expect a gold medal in the next Olympics. The players expressed their gratitude to Naveen Patnaik and the people of the Odisha for the support given to hockey which enabled them to win medals at the Olympics consecutively twice after a yawning gap of years. The team presented a jersey with signature of the Olympian players to the former chief minister. The team was led to Naveen Nivas for the meeting by the Hockey India president and former Olympian and Indian hockey team’s former captain Dilip Tirkey.
Naveen Patnaik, the former goal keeper of Doon School hockey team, had rescued the Hockey India from precarious situation as Jharkhand withdrew from hosting the Men’s World Hockey Cup 2018 at the last moment. In a record time, the then Naveen Patnaik government prepared the venues for the international sports event. The success of the 2018 event played a prelude for the Indian team to bag bronze at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 after a medal desert of 40 years. It was way back in 1980, the Indian team lifted the gold at the Moscow Olympics.
