Bhubaneswar: Odisha Ministers on Wednesday invited Chief Ministers of Mizoram and Maharashtra to attend the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2024 to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13.
According to an official release, Minister of School and Mass Education (SME) Samir Ranjan Dash handed over Hockey India T-shirt and a silver memento along with the invitation to Mizoram CM Zoramthanga on behalf of CM Naveen Patnaik.
Similarly, Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb met Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde this afternoon in Mumbai and handed over the invitation.
Naveen had earlier announced that his counterparts from all the states would be invited to the ensuing Men’s Hockey World Cup.
On January 2, Rural Development Minister Priti Ranjan Gharai met Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann at Chandigarh and handed the invitation to the Hockey World Cup 2023. On the same day, Commerce and Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu met Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu at Kolkata and handed the invitation.
Likewise, Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari met Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal later that day to invite him to the sporting extravaganza.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Srikanta Sahu met West Bengal minister of state for finance, health and family welfare, land and land reforms, refugee and rehabilitation Chandrima Bhattacharya on the same day and handed her the invitation card since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was not available.
The following day State Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari met Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal to extend the invitation.
Notably, by the first week of January, all the chief ministers will be invited to attend the grand sporting event.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands team arrived in Bhubaneswar this morning and was accorded a warm welcome at the airport. The three-time champions are placed in Pool C, along with Malaysia, New Zealand, and Chile.
The Netherlands will play its first match against Malaysia at Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela on January 14.
The Indian squad was the first to reach Odisha on December 27. Currently, it is busy with its practice session in Rourkela.
