Olympic hockey players from Odisha return to heroes welcome

BHUBANESWAR: India’s bronze medal winning men’s hockey players from Odisha — Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas — along with women team members Deep Grace Ekka and Namita Toppo were accorded a rousing reception upon their arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport on Tuesday.
State sports minister Tusharkanti Behera, sports secretary R Vineel Krishna and hockey legend Dilip Tirkey were among those who received the players on their returns to the state. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to felicitate the four players from the state on Wednesday.
Lakra and Rohidas, who were part of the men’s team that clinched the bronze medal in the Olympics after a gap of 41 years, are the first Olympian medallist from the state in any sports. Similarly, Deep Grace and Namita were part of the women’s team that finished fourth at the Olympics, their best-ever performance. All the four Olympians expressed their happiness upon returning home.
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