The Asian Para Games, will bring together elite para athletes from across the continent, offering a platform to them to showcase their dedication and talent.

Amongst the athletes competing from Odisha will be reigning Paralympic gold medallist Pramod Bhagat. He will be defending his gold medal in the para badminton mixed single’s event. In the previous edition held in Jakarta, Bhagat also secured a bronze in men’s doubles.

Other para-athletes from Odisha include Jayanti Behera (para-athletics), Soundarya Kumar Pradhan (visually impaired chess), Rakhal Kumar Sethi, V Ramesh Rao, Prafulla Kumar Khandayatray, and Pujaswini Nayak (wheelchair fencing).

Wishing the athletes success, Patnaik said, “We are immensely proud of our para-athletes who have worked tirelessly to qualify for the prestigious Asian Para Games 2022 in Hangzhou, China. The para-athletes are a testimony to human spirit and determination. I wish them and the entire India contingent the very best in their endeavour to bring laurels to the country.”

The Chief Minister expressed his congratulations to Amit Rohidas, acknowledging his outstanding performance and calling him an inspiration for youngsters not only across Odisha but also throughout India.

“Amit Rohidas’ remarkable achievements exemplify the spirit of perseverance and excellence. He has become a symbol of hope and pride for aspiring athletes in our state and beyond. His success story resonates with every individual striving to achieve greatness, and we are immensely proud of his accomplishments,” he said.

Amit Rohidas, a true son of the soil from the hockey-rich region of Sundargarh in Odisha, had proudly earned himself an Olympic Bronze Medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, an official release said on Saturday.

Amit Rohidas, a product of Odisha’s rich sporting culture, honed his exceptional skills at the Panposh Sports Hostel in Rourkela. With an impressive track record of over 150 caps, Amit emerged as an integral cog in India’s campaign in Hangzhou, serving as the first rusher and displaying remarkable strategic acumen. His pivotal goal in the semi-final against Korea, propelled the Indian team towards the final and the coveted gold medal.

The drag-flicker converted penalty corners in the 39th, 40th and 42nd minutes to complete his hat-trick after opening his account with a goal in the 24th minute of the Pool A encounter at the GSP Hockey Stadium here.

In the match, Indian Men’s Hockey Team forward Abhishek, who was named in the starting XI, also completed his 50 International Caps.

Mandeep Singh (12′, 30′, 51′) also scored a hat-trick while Abhishek (51′, 52′), and Varun Kumar (55′, 55′) scored a brace each. Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (16′), Gurjant Singh (22′), Vivek Sagar Prasad (23′), Manpreet Singh (37′), and Shamsher Singh (38′), scored a goal each for India, who led 6-0 at half-time. Zaki Zulkarnain (53′) scored the lone consolation for Singapore.

In a testing first quarter, India could penetrate the Singapore defence but failed to find the opening goal. Attacking from left to right to start the match, skipper Harmanpreet made long passes inside the striking circle to test Singapore’s defence. India’s quick movements with the ball troubled the opposition, but Singapore defended in numbers to keep India at bay.

Singapore goalkeeper Gugan Sandran made a crucial save after Harmanpreet Singh struck a powerful hit on target from a penalty corner. Mandeep Singh (12′) finally broke the deadlock after picking a pass from Gurjant Singh and pushing the ball into the nets to make it 1-0 for India at the end of the first quarter.

India doubled their lead straight into the second quarter, with Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (16′) striking the ball into the nets, after receiving a sublime pass from Sukhjeet Singh.

The floodgates opened in the second quarter as India hammered three quick goals in three minutes. First, it was Gurjant Singh (22′) who tapped the ball into the net after receiving a pass from Mandeep Singh. A minute later, Vivek Sagar Prasad (23′) also deflected it into the nets with a soft touch, and then Harmanpreet Singh (24′) opened up his goals tally, scoring from a Penalty Corner to make it 5-0.

A fantastic variation in the Penalty Corner allowed Mandeep Singh (30′) to get his second goal of the match late in the quarter, and India went into halftime with a 6-0 lead.

India continued to put pressure at the start of the third quarter, playing deep in Singapore’s half. Singapore mounted a dangerous attack of their own but were stopped in their tracks by Jarmanpreet Singh.

Manpreet Singh (37′) made the most of another variation in the Penalty Corner rout, as he deflected the ball into the nets to make it 7-0 for India. A minute later, Shamsher Singh (38′) made a powerful strike to extend India’s lead to 8-0. Skipper Harmanpreet Singh (39′, 40′, 42′) showcased his supreme form with the flicks as he converted three consecutive Penalty Corners to make it 11-0 for India to end the third quarter.

Singapore started pushing deep in their own half to prevent India from creating any more attacks in the final quarter. Dribbling past the Singaporean defence, Mandeep Singh (51′) pushed the ball into the nets to complete his hat-trick and made it 12-0 for India.

Abhishek (51′, 52′) scored twice in two minutes, making the most of errors from Singapore defenders. A surprise counter-attack from Singapore led to Zaki Zulkarnain (53′) scoring a goal for his team. Varun Kumar (55′, 55′) added his name to the scoresheet, scoring twice from Penalty Corners as India won the match 16-1.

Each Asian Games-bound athlete will receive Rs 10 lakhs each, to support their training, preparation, and participation, a CMO release said.

The CM expressed hope that the athletes will showcase their talent at the Games and this incentive will help them to focus solely on their training and performance.

Notably, 13 athletes from Odisha have qualified for the multi-sport event that features the best athletes from all across the Asian continent. They are Kishore Jena in Athletics; Anshika Bharati, Ritu Kaudi and Sonali swain in Rowing; Anupama Swain in Ju-Jitsu; Neha Devi Leichondam in Kayaking & Canoeing; Pyari Xaxa in Football; Deep Grace Ekka and Amit Rohidas in Hockey and Dumuni Marndi, Tarulata Naik, Mama Naik, and Hupi Majhi, four Odisha Rugby Football Association (ORFA) players, who have been named in the Indian squad.

The 19th Asian Games was initially slated to be held in September 2022. However, it was postponed to the following year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 634 Indian athletes will be taking part in Hangzhou 2022.

This initiative comes on the heels of the remarkable success achieved by Indian grandmasters at the recently concluded FIDE World Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan where four of the eight quarterfinals were Indians.

“Committed to providing unwavering support and top-notch facilities, the AICF coaching camp aims to enhance the players’ skills and strategies ahead of the anticipated Asian Games, set to take place in Hangzhou from September 23 to October 8, 2023, the AICF informed in a release on Saturday.

The women’s coaching camp, currently underway from August 25 to 29, includes participants Savitha Shri B and Vankita Agarwal.

The men’s coaching camp is scheduled to run from August 30 to September 3, boasting a lineup of esteemed players such as Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, Pentala Harikrishna, D Gukesh, and Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

Assisting these talents is a distinguished coaching team led by head coach Boris Gelfand, alongside coach Srinath Narayanan and assistant coaches Vaibhav Suri and Arjun Kalyan.

“AICF’s commitment is etched in unwavering support and cutting-edge facilities for our players. This coaching camp stands as a testament to that commitment, providing an immersive experience that delves deep into strategy and finesse, enriching players’ abilities in anticipation of the Asian Games scheduled in Hangzhou,” said AICF President Sanjay Kapoor,

President Kapoor’s sentiments resonate with the nation’s pride and admiration for the remarkable accomplishments of Indian players at the recent World Cup.

Remaining an unwavering pillar of support, the AICF is resolute in nurturing India’s chess prodigies, nurturing their aspirations and ambitions. With every initiative, it cements India’s reputation as an undeniable force in the global chess arena, eagerly anticipating a triumphant performance as players step onto the grand stage of the Asian Games, the chess body said in a release on Saturday.