“Overwhelmed to receive this letter from our Hon’ble PM @narendramodi ji. His constant support to athletes has motivated us to do our best at Tokyo2020. Sir, I am inspired by your passion for sport and pledge to continue my contribution to Indian sports. @PMOIndia @ianuragthakur,” Rupinder tweeted while attaching the appreciation letter by PM. 

In his social media post, overwhelmed Lakra expressed his gratitude and said, “We athletes contribute our life to the sport and when it is acknowledged by Hon’ble PM of the country, it feels like we have really done our bit for nation-building. Heartfelt thanks to Hon’ble Narendra Modi ji for his warm gesture. The time spent with you at the interaction after Tokyo 2020 will always remain memorable. Sir, I will surely take up the suggestion made by you regarding visits to 75 schools as part of #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav and continue to contribute to my country in my own little way.”

Lakra and Pal were both members of the Bronze clinching team at Tokyo. On September 30, Pal and Lakra announced his early retirement from the sport via social media platform citing “paving the way for youth to showcase their talents in the podium”

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent letters of appreciation to the staunch players for their contribution to the well-celebrated sport. 

In his letter to Pal, Modi wrote, “…I would like to personally thank you for all that you have done Indian hockey.” He pointed to Rupinder as a source of inspiration for Indian Hockey for the last decade and applauded him for his part in the resurgence of the sport in the country. 

The PM asked Rupinder to play his part in the Amrit Mahotsav by touring various schools across the country by August 2023. He also requested him to reach out to youngsters on ways to eliminate malnutrition plus promote the sport amongst them. 

“This would be a great service to the coming generations,” Modi added. 

The post Hockey Olympians moved by PM’s appreciation letters first appeared on The History Book of Indian Hockey.

While moving the resolution Tusharkanti Behera, Sports Minister, Odisha, said, “The Indian men’s team won the bronze medal. The team showed great resilience, skill and fitness. After 41 years, the team won a medal at the Olympics defeating the leading hockey-playing nations in the world. The Indian women’s team performance was beyond all expectations. They showed great fighting spirit. Even though they couldn’t win a medal, they won the hearts of the nation by finishing fourth.”

“On behalf of the House, I extend my greetings and congratulations to the Indian men and women hockey teams for their historic successes at the Tokyo Olympics and wish them more glory and laurels in the coming years,” he continued.

He also said that it’s a matter of pride for Odisha to be recognised as the force behind the triumph of the national teams at the Olympics.

Assuring that Odisha will continue supporting the sport with a glorious past in India, the minister said CM Naveen Patnaik has taken another historic step by announcing sponsorship to hockey for ten more years.

Odisha will be the home to Indian hockey and will continue to support it till India becomes a world champion, he added. 

“We are organising the men’s hockey World Cup in January 2023 and India’s largest hockey stadium is being built in Rourkela for the mega event. We are investing in grassroot-level hockey training centres. A high-performance centre has been established at the Kalinga Stadium. Many boys and girls from Odisha will represent the country in the coming years,” he stated.

The post Odisha assembly passes resolution praising Indian Hockey teams first appeared on The History Book of Indian Hockey.

Vivek was part of the national team that claimed Bronze at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. To him, this is a dreamlike moment as he has already been honoured with the award in the 2019-2020 season.

“I never imagined this would happen again. It is a surreal feeling to have been nominated for the second time in the same category (FIH Rising Star of the Year Award),” expressed Vivek graciously.

“I got to know this late in the night when I saw texts from my friends congratulating me. To be honest, it’s really overwhelming,” he continued, as quoted by The Hindu. 

The Indian Hockey body prepared the shortlist of all the divisions of FIH Awards 2020-21.

“It’s the result of teamwork and the support of senior players,” said the 21-year old while expressing gratitude to his seniors. 

“Since my debut, the seniors have been the biggest source of motivation. They have helped me play my natural game without any fear or pressure. That is the biggest reason why I could win the 2019 FIH Rising Star of the Year Award and also stand a chance to receive the honour for the second time,” he added further. 

He also pops off his feelings of winning the Bronze against Germany at the quadrennial games. “I still can’t believe I was part of the Olympic medal-winning team,” he voiced.

“It’s a dream of every athlete and I am really blessed to be able to live this dream at the age of 21.”

Asserting about the efforts put down by the team to execute an exemplary play in the next game, Vivek said, “…this is just the beginning and there’s still a lot of room for improvement. We have raised the bar and we have to do even better. There will be more challenges ahead and we need to be fully prepared for whatever comes our way.”

The post Indian Hockey | Twice in a row Vivek being nominated for FIH rising star first appeared on The History Book of Indian Hockey.

Apart from the duo, Harmanpreet Singh, vice-captain of team India, and Vandana Katariya, Navjot Kaur, women’s team members, were recommended for Arjuna awards.

R.P. Singh and Ch Sanggai Ibemhal were suggested for Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement. Also, coaches B.J. Kariappa and C.R. Kumar were nominated for the Dronacharya Award. 

As per the statement issued by Hockey India, nominations for Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award were to be submitted in between January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020.

The post Find out the nominations for Khel Ratna first appeared on The History Book of Indian Hockey.