India defeated Germany 5-4 in the bronze medal match in men's hockey on Thursday, ending the 41-year drought at the Olympics. The country last won a medal -- a Gold -- in hockey at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Indians got the better of their German counterparts after they scripted a thrilling comeback to seal the game. While Simranjeet Singh scored a brace, Hardik Singh, Harmanpreet Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh scored a goal each.
And while the Indians lauded the hockey team on social media, Twitter was also inundated with posts thanking Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for constantly supporting the Indian men's and women's hockey team. In fact, on August 2, Mr Patnaik said that the people of Odisha were proud that the state had been supporting both national teams since 2014. According to reports, the Odisha state government has sponsored men and women's hockey since 2018 and have also invested about Rs 150 crore.
On Thursday, following India's victory over Germany, Mr Patnaik was once again appreciated for his contributions.
Film producer Atul Kasbekar said that the victory was the watershed moment for the resurgence of Indian hockey. "Let this be the beginning of the second era of its golden age. Well played lads. I'm actually shaking with joy. And thanks again to the likes of Naveen Patnaik and the Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, who believed and backed the Flag of India," he said and ended his tweet with, "Jai Ho."
Another user expressed gratitude to the Odisha chief minister and said, "You are a saviour of the Indian hockey team. Congratulations."
This user said that Mr Patnaik is a "gem" for India and thanked him for supporting the sport in India.
Kirti Azad, former cricketer and Member of Parliament from Darbhanga, Bihar, also thanked Mr Patnaik for his "relentless support to Indian Hockey".
This afternoon, Mr Patnaik spoke to the Indian side and congratulated them on their medal-winning heroics over the Germans.
And here are more people congratulating India and the man whose contributions played a significant part.
The Indian women's hockey team plays Great Britain on Friday in the bronze medal match.
