Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik interacted with the National Men’s Hockey Team ahead of the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. He also announced that each player of the Indian hockey team will get Rs 1 crore if they win the mega-event. He wished them the very best and hoped they will emerge champions.
The global Hockey tournament will be a 17-day affair starting from January 13 till January 29. FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 will be the 15th edition of the International field hockey competition. The grand tournament of hockey will witness the gathering of the top 16 teams contesting for one common goal.
“Each player of Team India will be rewarded with Rs 1 crore, if our country wins World Cup. I wish the very best to Team India and hope they will emerge champions,” Patnaik said.
It will rain money on the players
The competition will be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29. Olympic bronze medallists India will take on Spain in their opening match on January 13. Patnaik inaugurated the World Cup Village at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex in Rourkela.
Hockey India also announced that if the team led by Harmanpreet Singh wins gold in the India Hockey World Cup, then each player will be given a cash prize of 25 lakhs. Along with this, the support staff will also be given Rs.5 lakh each in cash.
The World Cup Village will house the teams and officials of the upcoming Hockey World Cup. Sports Minister, Odisha, Tusharkanti Behera, President Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey, Secretary (5T), V K Pandian, Secretary Sports, R Vineel Krishna, MD IDCO, Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Secretary General, Hockey India Bholanath Singh and officials of the Odisha Government and Hockey India were present at the inauguration.
India are placed in Pool D against Spain, England and Wales. Earlier, Hockey India announced the 18-member team that will represent India at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. The Indian team, which is in pool D with England, Spain, and Wales, will begin their campaign on January 13 in the newly built Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela against Spain, followed by their second pool D match against England.
