Bhubaneswar, Nov. 25: The state might have fared badly in recognising the versatility of Indian hockey star Dilip Tirkey, but his fans have not.

In a rare expression of love and admiration, hockey-lovers from across the country joined in to put together a birthday gift for their hero who turned 32 today.

Aptly titled, “Chak de Dilip”, the exhibition showcases his impressive journey from a young tribal lad of Sundargarh to a three-time Olympian.

Fans from all walks of life and all age groups came together to share their thoughts, love, likeness for the sports star with contributions in form of poems, paintings, portraits, articles, rare photographs, attires and several memorabilia.

The week-long exhibition — inaugurated by chief minister Naveen Patnaik — at the Rashtriya Lalit Kala Kendra here contains everything from crafts designed by children to hockey sticks autographed by him, from Tirkey’s sports outfit to amateur photographs of his schooldays.

The event is the brainchild of Orissa’s senior sports journalist Sambit Mohapatra.

“The exhibition is a way to celebrate Tirkey and pay tributes to the great sporting personality,” said organiser Mohapatra.

Tirkey has often been referred to as “the neglected sultan” of Indian sports.

However, at a time when hockey is dying a slow death, this exhibition definitely adds a light of hope.

“It’s really touching,” a seemingly overwhelmed Tirkey told The Telegraph.

Fans, sports personalities and veterans joined Tirkey in celebrating the occasion by cutting a cake.

“See the recent hype over Sachin Tendulkar’s 20 years in international cricket. The media went overboard with Sachin’s exploits over the years. Contrast that with Dilip Tirkey’s 400th international hockey match, which hardly received a mention anywhere in the media. Can we blame kids for not playing hockey anymore, given the amount of prominence we give to hockey players?” rued Pabita Mishra, a sports lover.

“This exhibition must have given Tirkey a feeling of his presence in millions of heart,” said Mishra, who has contributed one of his paintings on the ace hockey player from the state.