Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced that his counterparts from all the states would be invited to the ensuing Men's Hockey World Cup.
Patnaik made the announcement at an all-party meeting convened here ahead of the sporting extravaganza. Representatives of ruling BJD, Opposition BJP and Congress, CPI(M), CPI, Samajwadi Party, RJD and AAP attended it. While seeking the cooperation of all the political parties for the smooth conduct of the international event, Patnaik said, "We have decided to invite the chief ministers of all the states..."
The decision was appreciated by representatives of all the political parties. Patnaik also thanked the Centre, particularly Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for extending support to the state government for hoisting the event, which will take place from January 13-29. He said the smooth conduct of the event is a matter of prestige for not only Odisha but also the entire nation.
"Therefore, we should work in tandem to make the event successful," Patnaik told the leaders of different parties. The tournament will pan out in two venues -- Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium and Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who attended the meeting, said that the central government would extend all support to the state.
"I thank the Odisha government for hoisting the international sports event," he said. "We should work together to ensure that as many as 100 Olympians emerge from Odisha by 2036 when the state observes its 100th foundation day," Pradhan said.
