Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday formally launched “IDCO-MCl Kalinga lancers”, the first Odisha franchise in Hockey India league and unveiled the team’s logo.
Kalinga lancer would join the second edition of Hero Hockey India league 2014, slated to start in the last week of January 2014.
On the occasion, an agreement was also signed between Odisha Sport Development and Promotion Company, the promoter of IDCO-MCl Kalinga lancers and Hockey India league, the sixth team in the HIl.
The Director, Sports and Youth Services DV Swamy who is also the Chairman of the OSDPC and HIl CEO Elen Norman signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of the Chief Minister, Hockey India General Secretary Narinder Batra and Vice-President of Hockey India Pratap Satapathy here.
The endeavour, which would promote Brand Odisha across the globe, is a joint venture promoted by IDCO and Mahanadi Coal Fields limited as a part of their CSR activities.
A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) was promoted under the banner of Odisha Sports Development and Promotion Company with the objective of promotion of sports and welfare of sports persons of the State.
The SPV will be functioning at Kalinga Statidum Sports Complex here. Kalinga Stadum, which boasts of synthetic hockey surface confirming to the international specifications will be the venue for the league matches of Hero Hockey India league -2014.
Padmashree Dillip Tirkey is the mentor and adviser to the SPV. Out of the 34 matches, six league matches would be played at the Kalinga Stadium. Hockey India has chosen Kalinga Hockey Stadium as the venue for hosting the next Champions Trophy, which is next only to the World Cup in 2015 and the World Cup Junior in 2016, besides placing Bhubaneswar as the first preferred location in the bid for men’s World Cup in 2018, the Chief Minister said.
Patnaik, expressing his happiness over the raising of the IDCO-MCl Kalinga lancer, described it as a “significant development in the promotion of Field Hockey in Odisha.” “It would provide a highly visible and attractive platform to inspire young talented hockey players of the State to take to competitive hockey,” he said.