Nitish Kumar felicitates Indian Women’s Hockey Team in Patna
Patna: In a grand ceremony at Bapu Sabhagar in Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar felicitated the Indian women’s hockey team for their victory in the Women’s Asian Hockey Championship Trophy held from November 11 to 20 in Rajgir.
Organised by the Bihar State Sports Department, the event celebrated the team’s historic win over China, with a close 1-0 victory, marking a proud moment for the nation and the state of Bihar.
Each Indian women’s hockey team player and the head coach received ₹10 lakh and the supporting staff members were awarded ₹5 lakh each. The tournament organiser was also recognised and honoured. These awards were personally distributed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
A four-minute short film showcasing the tournament was presented during the ceremony.
The Chief Minister extended his heartfelt congratulations and encouragement to the players and the team management.
Salima Tete, captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, expressed her joy at meeting the Chief Minister and appreciated the organisation of such a prestigious event in Rajgir for the first time.
“The recognition and rewards by the Bihar government serve as a major morale boost for the players,” Tete said.
The Bihar government hosted the Women’s Asian Hockey Championship Trophy at the State Sports Academy and Bihar Sports-University-cum-State Sports Complex in Rajgir. During the event, India, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand participated in the event.
India’s triumph in the final against China was a historic achievement, making the country proud.
The ceremony was attended by several distinguished officials, including Bihar Sports Minister Surendra Mehta, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Deepak Kumar, Development Commissioner Pratyaya Amrit, and Hockey India General Secretary Bhola Nath Singh, among others.