New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS): Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan organised the Vijay Utsav, a grand celebration to honour the Indian Men's Hockey team for their remarkable achievement of securing the Bronze Medal at the recent Olympic Games, here at Kalinga Stadium.

The Indian hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh and featuring Odia star Amit Rohidas, clinched the Bronze Medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics with a decisive victory over Spain.

The Vijay Utsav kicked off with an energetic parade from Biju Patnaik Airport to Kalinga Stadium, culminating in a grand celebration of the nation’s sporting heroes with thousands of people and hundreds of folk artists joining the roadshow.

CM Mohan Charan Majhi also announced Rs 15 lakh for each player, Rs 10 lakh for the support staff, Rs 50 lakh for PR Sreejesh, and ?4 crore for Odisha’s star, Amit Rohidas.

Odisha Government is now focusing on enhancing grassroots-level infrastructure to promote sports across the state. This strategic move aligns with Chief Minister of Odisha’s vision to build a robust sports ecosystem and elevate the overall sports culture in the state. Building upon commitment to hockey.

Chief Minister Majhi has announced a further extension of Odisha’s sponsorship of Indian hockey until 2036 which aligns with the state’s ambitious ‘Vision Odisha: 2036,’ which celebrates Odisha’s centenary.

Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj added, “This grand celebration not only honours our athletes' remarkable achievements but also underscores Odisha Government's pivotal role in advancing sports both nationally and internationally. We reaffirm our focus on nurturing talent and building a robust sports infrastructure for the future from the grassroots level. Govt. will leave no stone unturned in creating robust infrastructure setup at the ground level to develop more players Olympic ready which is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.”