SAIL announces performance-based reward for Indian hockey team in World Cup
New Delhi, 26 February 2010

Union Minister for Steel Shri Virbhadra Singh, in presence of Union Minister of State for Steel Shri A. Sai Prathap and SAIL Chairman Shri S.K. Roongta, announced today that SAIL, a PSU under Ministry of Steel, will reward the Indian hockey team for achieving victory during different stages of the FIH World Cup 2010 to be held in New Delhi from 28th February to 13th March ’10. SAIL is the Presenting Partner of the tournament. The awards announced are in the following categories

•For winning the World Cup Rs. one crore

•For reaching finals, silver award of Rs. 50 lakh

•For reaching semi-finals, bronze award of Rs. 25 lakh

Shri Singh was speaking at a photo session organized at India Gate today with captains of the 12 teams from different countries taking part in the tournament.

SAIL is also presenting a ‘Man of Steel’-Best Defender award in all the matches of the tournament. The award carries a trophy and a cash reward.

SAIL’s dedication to the cause of sports has taken the shape of setting up residential sports academies for football, athletics, archery and hockey in different regions of India, apart from a number of other initiatives. SAIL Hockey Academy was set up in Rourkela, Orissa way back in 1992. SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant set it up in Sundargarh, the hockey heartland of India. The main reason for Rourkela being chosen for promoting Hockey is because of the fact that in Sundargarh, for the local tribals Hockey is almost a way of life.

The locals have a natural affinity for the game and many of them in the villages start playing the game with hockey sticks carved out from branches of trees. The objective was honing the talent of the youth, for whom hockey is more a way of life than a mere game. The sustained effort has been to catch these talents young and to impart specialized scientific training so that they metamorphose into players of national and international stature. In June 2005, the most modern facility of Synthetic Turf was installed in the Hockey Stadium at Rourkela. SAIL is also proud that Michael Kindo, one of the stars of the Indian team which won the Hockey World Cup in 1975, was on its rolls.

Photo Caption:
Hockey team captains of World Cup-2010 with the World Cup Trophy, at India Gate.

(to right of trophy) Union Steel Minister, Shri Virbhadra Singh, International Hockey Federation (FIH) Chief Mr Leandro Negre, Chairman, SAIL Shri S.K.Roongta

(to left of trophy) Mr. Suresh Kalmadi, President, IOA, Mr. Rajpal Singh, Captain, Indian Hockey team and Union Minister of State for Steel, Shri A Sai Prathap