CT 2014: Sports Minister Sudam Marndi interact with players
Bhubaneswar, 01 December 2014: Indian team today had a surprise visitor in Sports Minister of Odisha Sudam Marndi, who wished them good luck and asked the players to enjoy hockey in the prestigious tournament that Odisha hosts.
“It is a delight to see these young men working religiously to make our country proud every minute. Watching this team practicing with so much zeal and enthusiasm is a motivation in itself and I am certain that they all will keep adding to the pride and laurels for India in the coming years ahead. Wishing all the teams good luck and may the best team win”, the visiting dignitary said.
He further added, “Being the host city for the tournament that is looked forward to by hockey lovers all across the globe, has given us much confidence and motivation to have many more championships like the Hero Men’s Champions Trophy 2014. This championship with international names attached to it, will further help in taking hockey to new heights in the city as well as in country and our aim hereon will be to strive and help promote hockey as a sport in India.”
Speaking after the training session, Defender Birendra Lakra said, “Our training session is going very good. We have adapted ourselves with the ground and the atmosphere here. The morning practice sessions are good for all us as we start the session with a fresh mind. Today, we worked on various variations and team combinations and we also implemented a few new strategies today. We are delighted by the visit of the Sports Minister of Odisha. It’s always a great feeling to see the Sports Minister visiting and cheering the team.”