Times of India: Women hockey team’s Olympics entry tribute to Dhyan Chand: MP CM

BHOPAL: Delighted over the Indian women’s hockey team qualifying for the Olympics after a gap of 36 years, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday termed it as true tribute to hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.

“Best wishes to India’s women hockey team as they bag historic Olympic berth on National Sports Day. A true tribute to Major Dhyan Chand,” Chouhan tweeted.

Chouhan, who is promoting hockey in its nursery, Bhopal also said in another tweet “Sports has the power to unite the world and bridge divides, remembering Major Dhyan Chand on National Sports Day.”

The Indian women’s hockey team will return to the Olympics after a long gap of 36 years as it qualified on Saturday for next year’s Rio Games, courtesy England making it to the final of the ongoing EuroHockey Championships in London.

India took the quota place on the basis of its fifth-place finish in the women’s Hockey World League Semifinals in Antwerp, Belgium last month.

International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed that Indian women’s team has qualified for the Rio Games.