Turtle ‘Olly’ has been declared as the official mascot for the Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup, scheduled to be held at the Kalinga Stadium here from November 28 to December 16, 2018.
“It will be a befitting celebration of Olive Ridley turtles and our efforts to conserve their habitat. Odisha welcomes the world as the nesting cove of the Olive Ridley for the world cup,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
‘Olly’ represents the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles that travel thousands of miles in the ocean and arrive in millions every year on Odisha’s Rushikulya and Gahirmatha beaches for their annual nesting. Notably, it was also the mascot for Asian Athletics Championships held at the stadium in 2017.
Another major attraction of the Hockey World Cup would be the presence of eminent Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in its opening ceremony to be held on November 27.
Khan’s love for hockey is known from the fact that he played a hockey coach in “Chak De! India”.
He has urged people to support hockey and Team India. He took to Twitter to extend his support.
Hockey player Manpreet Singh asked SRK via Twitter if he would be a part of the hockey tournament and if the actor would support them.
SRK replied saying he would jump at the opportunity. “I wish you and our team the best. Hockey is the pride of India. We will cheer Chak De India! Thank you for thinking of me. #HeartBeatsForHockey.”