The new government in Odisha has decided to continue the State’s sponsorship of the Indian hockey team, extending it on Friday by three years till 2036 with Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Mohan Majhi announcing the same as part of the state’s Vision Odisha: 2036.
“In 2036, Odisha will complete 100 years of formation. The year will also see a probability of Gujarat hosting the Olympics. Odisha’s role in the rise of hockey has been instrumental and this extension of sponsorship could prove to be a game changer for the state in sports,” Majhi said after meeting Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and other officials.
The meeting was attended by, among others, HI secretary-general Bhola Nath Singh, Odisha Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, chief secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena and commissioner-cum-secretary R. Vineel Krishna.
The previous Naveen-Patnaik government had earlier extended the sponsorship of both the men’s and women’s national teams (senior and junior) till 2033 for ₹434.12 crores in April last year. Odisha has been the sport’s principal sponsor since 2018.
“We had a productive meeting with the Hon’ble CM. We are thankful to the Odisha Government for their support and commitment to Indian hockey. As an Odia and a former hockey player, I am immensely proud. Odisha has set another remarkable example for the nation,” Tirkey said.
