'Odisha's Unwavering Support for Indian Hockey Extended to 2036'

The Odisha government has announced the extension of its sponsorship of Indian national hockey teams until 2036. This decision follows the previous extension till 2033. The announcement was made by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after a meeting with top officials. Odisha's support has been crucial for Indian hockey.

In a landmark move, the Odisha government announced on Friday that it will extend its sponsorship of the Indian national hockey teams until 2036. This extension builds on the previous commitment made by the BJD government to sponsor the teams until 2033.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi made the significant announcement following a high-level meeting attended by Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, Odisha's Sports & Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Chief Secretary Pradeep Kumar Jena, and Commissioner-Cum-Secretary R Vineel Krishna.

"In 2036, Odisha will complete 100 years of its formation. 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 the sports domain," Majhi stated.

Hockey India President Tirkey expressed his gratitude to the Odisha government, saying, "We discussed the advancement of sports and strategies to elevate hockey to new heights."

Odisha has been the official sponsor of the national men's and women's hockey teams since 2018. The previous Odisha government, led by Naveen Patnaik, had earlier extended this sponsorship until 2033. During Patnaik's tenure, Odisha organized several major international hockey tournaments, including the FIH Hockey Men's World Cups in 2018 and 2023, and the Junior Men's World Cup in 2021.

The state also takes pride in housing the world's largest hockey stadium, the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela, which can seat 20,000 spectators and was constructed ahead of the 2023 World Cup, co-hosted by Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)