Odisha Government Announces ₹11 Lakh Each for Indian Women’s Hockey Team Players

The government of Odisha has announced a cash incentive of ₹11 lakh each for players belonging to the Indian women’s hockey team for winning the gold medal in the Asian Games 2026. The Chief Minister of Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi, announced the cash reward on 3rd October 2026, and each of the support staff members will receive ₹5.5 lakh. India had defeated the defending champions China 1–0 in the final match held on 2nd October to win the women’s Asian Games hockey championship after 44 years and qualified directly for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

Cash Reward of ₹11 Lakh to Each Member of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team

The government of Odisha has announced the cash reward in appreciation of the gold medal won by India in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

Category Wise Cash Reward

• Indian women’s hockey player: ₹11 lakh
• Support staff members” ₹5.5 lakh

The cash reward announced by the government of Odisha in addition to the separate prize money announced by Hockey India, says Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Secretary of Odisha Sports Department.

India Claims Asian Games Women’s Hockey Gold after 44 Years

India has won the Asian Games women’s hockey gold medal with a scoreline of 1–0 against China on October 2, 2026, in Kakamigahara, Japan.

India broke its long drought of 44 years to win the Asian Games women’s hockey gold medal. The country’s last and sole gold medal in this competition came in 1982.

Lalremsiami scored the match-winning goal in the 10th minute. Goalkeeper Savita played a critical part by saving a penalty stroke for India as the team held its slim lead till the final whistle.

This helped India claim its second Asian Games gold medal in women’s hockey.

Asian Games Gold Confirms LA 2028 Olympic Qualification

Women’s hockey at the 2026 Asian Games acted as one of the qualification routes to Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The gold medal winning performance of India in the Asian Games guarantees it an automatic qualification slot for the 2028 Olympics. According to the information before the Asian Games from Hockey India, the Asian Games qualified the top-ranking eligible team.

Thus, the Indian women’s hockey team has bagged a berth at the LA 2028 Olympics through the Asian Games.

Odisha’s Strong Connection With Indian Hockey

Odisha has been associated with the growth of Indian hockey since quite some time now.

The state emerged as the first Indian state to sponsor India’s national teams in 2018, where it had offered sponsorship for the national teams for the next five years. Later on, the sponsorship period was further extended, and the sponsorship duration according to the state is until 2036.

It has also been a host to several international hockey tournaments such as the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup and the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup.

Sundargarh district in Odisha is known for its hockey environment where many players have been part of Indian hockey.