The Chief Minister also announced cash rewards for the coaching staff.
The Indian men’s hockey team clinched the gold medal at the Asian Games 2023 in a thrilling final match against Japan. The defending champions seemed to struggle to control the game, while Harmanpreet Singh and his formidable team displayed a dominant performance right from the opening minute, securing a resounding victory with a scoreline of 5-1.
Harmanpreet Singh led the charge with two goals, while Abhisek, Amit Rohidas, and Manpreet Singh contributed with one goal each. The Indian team not only claimed the gold medal but also earned a coveted spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Recognizing this remarkable achievement, Odisha's Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, took to his official Twitter account to extend his heartfelt congratulations to the team.
He praised their outstanding performance, saying, "Congratulate Indian Men's Hockey Team on winning the gold medal at the Asian Games after defeating Japan by 5-1 and qualifying for Paris Olympics 2024. May they continue to scale new heights of sporting glory and bring laurels to the country. Best wishes to the team for future events."
He also interacted with the players personally through a video call and congratulated them and later announced a reward of Rs 5 Lakh each for the players and support staff for the huge accomplishment.
Sports Odisha’s official twitter handle declared the announcement made by Naveen Patnaik and also shared the video chat between the players and the CM. “Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik congratulated the gold winning Indian Hockey Men's team over a video call for their historic gold at Hangzhou Asian Games 2022 and announced cash award of Rs 5 lakh each for players and support staff of the victorious team,” Sports Odisha said in a post.
Naveen Patnaik had previously announced a monetary reward of Rs1.5 crore for local boy Kishore Kumar Jena, who secured the silver medal in the Men's Javelin Throw event at the Asian Games 2023.