Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday felicitated members of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams for winning gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan and qualifying in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
To recognise their contribution to India’s victory, the Odisha government awarded ₹11 lakh to each player and ₹5.5 lakh to each support staff member.
The men’s team and its support staff received a combined cash award of ₹2.75 crore, while the women’s team received ₹2.86 crore, taking the total to ₹5.61 crore.
Three players hailing from Odisha — Amit Rohidas and Shilanand Lakra of the men’s team and Sunelita Toppo of the women’s team — also received ₹20 lakh each.
Felicitating the players at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the chief minister said: “The Odisha government will continue to sponsor the Indian hockey teams. There is a proposal for India to host the 2036 Olympic Games. If that happens, the hockey matches will certainly be held in Odisha in 2036, when the state celebrates the centenary of its formation.”
Odisha is sponsoring the Indian teams until 2033. It has announced plans to extend the sponsorship until 2036.
Majhi said Odisha was investing ₹4,000 crore in developing sports infrastructure at the block level.