Both the men's and women's hockey squads received formal recognition from Odisha's administration at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on 16 October, honouring their respective gold medal performances at the 2026 Asian Games held in Japan and their secured berths at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Mohan Charan Majhi, attending in his capacity as chief guest, handed over cash awards to players, coaches, and support personnel from both sides at the function.

He referred to the gold medallists as role models for younger generations, adding that their performances had brought honour to India and could encourage those coming up behind them. Speaking at the event, Majhi described the athletes from both championship-winning teams as figures worthy of emulation for younger generations and pointed to their performances as an indication of the country's athletic progress.

Disbursements outlined in the state government's incentive programme set Rs 11 lakh for every player across both the men's and women's squads, with support staff members in line to collect Rs 5.5 lakh apiece. Combined prize money set aside for the two squads and their respective support personnel amounts to Rs 5.61 crore in total. Funding disbursed by the government placed Rs 2.86 crore with the women's squad and its support personnel, with the men's side receiving Rs 2.75 crore under the same arrangement.

Three athletes from Sundargarh district — Amit Rohidas, Shilanand Lakra, and Sunelita Toppo — each received a cash award of Rs 20 lakh from the Odisha government in recognition of their contributions to Indian hockey. All three athletes competed at the international level, with their results drawing attention beyond the state.

Majhi singled out the women's team, noting that their gold medal victory — the nation's first in 44 years — had the potential to inspire women across the country. Acknowledgement of the captaincy roles held by Salima Tete in the women's team and Harmanpreet Singh in the men's team formed part of the Chief Minister's remarks. Tete drew praise as a model of contemporary, tactically aware sports leadership, while Harmanpreet's resolve was pointed to as the driving force behind the men's team claiming back-to-back Asian Games gold.

Invoking the words of Odia poet Sachidananda Routray, Majhi put forward the view that a region whose people demonstrate extraordinary ability will, in time, draw attention beyond its own borders. Odisha's backing of the Indian national hockey teams — covering both the men's and women's squads — was described as an arrangement the state government intends to maintain going forward.

Majhi put forward the view that Odisha could serve as a hockey host if India were awarded the 2036 Olympic Games, framing the state's involvement as dependent on that bid succeeding. He noted that 2036 will mark a full hundred years since Odisha gained its standing as a distinct province.

Sporting facilities across Odisha — not just those concentrated in Bhubaneswar — are being expanded under a plan the Chief Minister outlined as a pathway for young athletes to find competitive opportunities throughout the state. A planned outlay exceeding Rs 4,000 crore has been directed toward stadium construction at the block level, as stated in his remarks. Plans drawn up for Gothapatna include a sports facility of international scale, with the project's estimated cost set at Rs 1,000 crore.

Kalinga Stadium, he noted, is set to host the 2028 World Indoor Athletics Championships, and together with the proposed sports complex and grassroots infrastructure work, those developments are expected to position Odisha as a destination for international competition at the highest level. Majhi noted that the Prime Minister had welcomed Asian Games medallists to his home and engaged with them directly, an experience the official described as encouraging.

The Khelo India programme, he noted, had grown into a meaningful avenue for spotting and nurturing athletic promise drawn from across the nation's diverse regions. Ongoing investment in sports facilities and direct backing for athletes, the Chief Minister argued, would be the foundation for raising India's standing on the international stage.

Addressing reporters, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj described hockey in Odisha as something woven into the state's collective sense of self — a reflection of deep-rooted feeling rather than athletic pursuit alone. Gold medals claimed by both the men's and women's teams, he noted, had lifted the standing of India and Odisha alike in the eyes of the international sporting community. Pointing to the track records of Amit Rohidas, Shilanand Lakra, and Sunelita Toppo on the world stage, the minister expressed the view that their results could serve as a source of inspiration for young athletes from rural parts of Odisha who aspire to compete at the international level.

Among those present at the felicitation ceremony were Dilip Tirkey — who holds the Hockey India presidency and previously served as a Rajya Sabha member — alongside Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Sports and Youth Services Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Bhupendra Singh Poonia, departmental director Yedulla Vijay, and a number of other officials. The occasion also included a restatement of Odisha's pledge to back Indian hockey and develop athletic potential throughout the region.