Odisha Govt comes up with innovative strategies to attract people to hockey

With Bhubaneshwar getting ready to host the Men's Hockey World Cup from November 28 to December 16, Odisha government has geared up and launched a 360 degree nation-wide publicity campaign to bring fans of the sport closer. The Naveen Patnaik-led Government of Odisha has decided to inspire every Indian to support hockey. The four month away World Cup tournament has already created a buzz and Odisha is helping to further it. All set to take place in the Kalinga Stadium in the capital city of Odisha, the World Cup fever will kick off with 'Heartbeats for Hockey', a movement that attempts to get India behind the game by way of music, entertainment, fashion, pure sport and panel discussions.

"We are asking India to give their heart to hockey. And by this way, which is a nationwide outreach, we aim to go to the heartlands of hockey and ask people to come and immortalise their heartbeats by recording them on a specially-designed hockey stick," said Nupur Mahajan, brand strategist and creator of the campaign, who is working alongside the Odisha government as Communication and Strategy Consultant for the event. With such innovative ideas coming, it's sure to attract the mob to the field sport. Each time anyone holds the custom-made hockey stick, named 'Heart Beat', they record their heart beat as a pledge to support hockey. This 'Heart Beat' will travel across the country through 'Hockey Adda', a curated on-ground discussion platform for hockey players and experts alike, with youth in the audience. It's wonderful to see such measures being adopted by the country as well as the State of Odisha to promote hockey and familiarize the mass with the game. With so many hockey-based movies with big-shot stars like an Akshay Kumar or a Shahrukh Khan in it or the biographical Diljit Dosanjh starrer, hockey has gained popularity of late. Elena Norman, CEO, Hockey India, said,

"The trajectory of hockey as a sport in India has attained a new high, given the recent commendable performances of the Indian hockey teams. We urge one and all to come forward and support your hockey team during the upcoming Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018." Let's hope this endeavor for popularizing the sport gets rewarded in the right direction!

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