Let’s Make It as People’s World Cup: Pandian to Hockey Fans during Instagram Live Session

Bhubaneswar: FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup is not about teams alone. This World Cup is not about players alone, not about winning or losing. It’s about people. Let’s make it as a people World Cup. That is the dream of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

These are some of the motivating words of Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian to fans during an interactive Instagram Live session from iconic Kalinga Stadium here on Monday.

As hockey fever has started gripping sports lovers across the country and Odisha being the host state of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup for second consecutive time, the 5T Secretary engrossed in a live interaction with the fans and took their valuable suggestions to make the mega sporting event grand success and memorable for the fans and participating countries.

During the interaction, the 5T Secretary said, “Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik always wants that people’s participation should be the hallmark of any event which we host. You do games, you do sports, you do athletics. There are winners, losers, there will be stars, there will be players. But finally everything is done for people. So people are the core of everything what we do. This is the mantra of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik”.

Pandian said, “I think we are on the right track in investing in sports in Odisha”.

Quoting the Chief Minister, he said, “Investment in sports is investment in youth. Investment in youth is investment in future”.

“Yesterday night the world came to standstill for about 3 hours. Across continents, across countries, across states… the humankind joined together to witness something spectacular. That is the power of a sport. It unites people across every barrier. So this unifying effect no other activity will have as that of sports. It inculcates a sense of discipline in anyone who practices or anyone who watches sports as well. Whether it is hard work, whether it is punctuality, whether it is sincerity, whether it is professionalism in every aspect of this great behavior there is a link with sports. And above all, when we are in the prime of youth it is always important that one is focused. And honorable CM believes as many parents, as many people that investment in sports is investment in youth. And this is the idea behind why Odisha is investing in sports”.

“Let me give you one more anecdote. Yesterday when the World Cup celebration happened, it didn’t confine itself to Argentina alone. It happened in Kerala, it happened in Korea. Everywhere there may be fans for Argentina; there may be fans for France. But at the end, whoever is the winner and whoever is the runner both of them commanded respect across the world. That is the power of sport. The winner as well as the loser. Both have that respect which they earn because of their hard work, because of their commitment, because of their professionalism. This is something which everyone should learn, which everyone should inculcate, especially our youth. That is the idea behind investment in sports for Odisha”, he said.

During the interactive session, the 5T Secretary answered a range of questions from the audience and also took the suggestions from them.

Joining the session, Team India Captain Harmanpreet said that they are happy to play again in India for this World Cup.

President Hockey India Dilip Tirkey said that he is really proud that the Hockey World Cup is happening in his district Sundargarh.