**Bhubaneswar:** Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik drew attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accord ‘national game’ status to hockey as a fitting tribute to hockey legends who made India proud.
In his letter, CM Naveen Patnaik clearly stated, “I was surprised and shocked to know that what is popularly known as the national game –‘Hockey’ has in fact never been notified as our National Game.
“Hence, I am sure you will agree with the crores of hockey loving fans of our country- that Hockey truly deserves to be notified as our National Game. This will be a fitting tribute to the great hockey players who have made our country proud. It will also inspire our future generations,” he further stated.
In fact, in a first of its kind, the State of Odisha is sponsoring the National Hockey Team for the next five years. The next World Cup Hockey will be held in Odisha in November this year.
