Bhubaneswar: The Inter University Women’s Hockey Championship organised by Rama Devi (RD) Women’s University was inaugurated on Thursday at Biju Patnaik Sports Complex in Utkal University here.
Inaugurating the meet, Bhubaneswar MLA Ananta Narayan Jena said, “Hockey is our national sport and we should foster the spirit of hockey.”
Vice-Chancellor of RD University Prof. Aparajita Chowdhury stressed the spirt of hockey in Odisha and the entire country. She further pointed out that first time the Inter University Women’s Hockey Championship has been organized and it has healded in a new era in the age of sports.
Hockey is a game for all. Not only men but also women have all rights to play hockey with all their hearts and dedication, said Prof. Sabita Acharya, Vice-chancellor of Utkal University.
How women’s hockey can be promoted not only Odisha, but also globally should be the prime motto.Odisha has been blessed with great hockey playerssince the years and so Higher Education department, Govt of Odisha has been taking promising steps for the promotion of women’s hockey championship, Prof Prafulla Kumar Mohanty, Vice-Chancellor, Khallikote University, Berhampur asserted.
Former Indian Hockey Team Captain and Hockey India President DilipTirkey and former women’s hockey captain Jagdishnita Kullu stand as inspiration for all the hockey players of Odisha. Odisha is doing well on the front of hockey in the national level, stated Paulina Surin, former international hockey player.
On the first day, there were three matches between RD University and Fakir Mohan University; Sambalpur University and Maharaj Shree Rama Chandra University; and Shri Jagannath Sanskrit University and KIIT University.
