ROURKELA: Following the historic performance of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams at the Tokyo Olympics, the Odisha model of sports was hailed by all and sundry. The Odisha model attributes to the unique partnership between the federations, corporates and sportspersons with a common vision to achieving sporting excellence. This unique collaboration has been instrumental in the rise of sports and athletes in the state and has created a holistic ecosystem with exemplary and enviable sports infrastructure.
It started in 2014 when Odisha hosted the Hockey Champions Trophy. Thereafter, Odisha went on to host many international hockey events, including the historic Asian Athletics Championship in 2017, thus gradually bringing a paradigm shift in the way a state can adopt and support sports. In 2018, right before the men’s hockey World Cup, Odisha took a historic step to support and sponsor the national men’s and women’s hockey teams for five years, and the result was for all to see at the Tokyo Olympics. After four decades, the Indian men’s team brought home a medal – the bronze. There was euphoria in the country and it was a matter of pride that Odisha played a significant role in the revival of Indian hockey.
