Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday received the trophy of the 15th Men’s Hockey World Cup to be hosted by India from January 13 to January 29 next year on its arrival in the state capital. On this special occasion, the CM handed over the appointment letter to Lalit Upadhyay, a member of the medal winning Indian team of Tokyo Olympics 2020, for being appointed to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police in UP Police. Appreciating the sports contribution of Lalit Upadhyay, the CM said that the state government is committed to promote the sports and sportspersons in the state. “In this series, medal winners of various international competitions including Olympic, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are being provided opportunities for government services,” he said.Expressing happiness over the arrival of the Hockey World Cup trophy in UP, the CM said that the entire country is eager to host the world cup in Odisha, the holy land of Lord Jagannathan. “Under the guidance of the Prime Minister, this ‘Maha Kumbh’ of hockey will also be an opportunity for the world to get acquainted with India’s spirit of ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’. He also extended his best wishes to Hockey India for the successful conduct of the World Cup. Congratulating the Indian team for winning the World Cup with a spectacular performance, he termed the hosting of the event as a historic and proud occasion for the whole of India. Yogi said that a new sports culture is developing in India under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Indian players are creating new history in various international sports events,” he said.
Appreciating the World Cup Hockey Tour organised by Hockey India, the CM said that Indian fans have always had a special attachment towards hockey. “It is termed as our national game and India has a glorious past in hockey on the global stage. We have won eight gold medals in the Olympics. All the sports loving Indians are eager to support their national team in this World Cup,” he said. The CM said that UP has been a fertile land for hockey. “UP has produced many talented hockey players who have excelled at the national and international levels. Major Dhyan Chand, the great player known as ‘Hockey Wizard’ in the sports world, is the pride of UP. The present state government is setting up the state’s first sports university in district Meerut in honor of this great patriotic player.”
He said, “Similarly, KD Singh Babu, the pride of hockey, is the source of inspiration for the youth of Uttar Pradesh. The current sports director of the state himself has been the captain of the national hockey team.” Yogi said that the stadium in the rural areas of the state was once a dream. “Today stadiums, mini stadiums are being built in villages and cities. Playgrounds and open gyms are being developed in every village,” he said.
The CM said that in order to encourage sports and sportspersons, a grand felicitation program was organized for the medal winners of Olympic and Paralympic Games. “This sequence will continue even further. Sports culture is being developed in villages and towns through MP Sports Competition and ‘MLA Sports Competition’,” he said.
