Hockey Women's WC: Dilip Tirkey stirs emotions at Terrassa

Terrassa [Spain], July 18 : It was a moment of great pride as Indian former captain and Chairman, Odisha Hockey Promotion Council, Dilip Tirkey presented the Odisha Player of the Tournament award at the closing of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup 2022 at Terrassa, Spain.
It was a delight for the hockey fans in the stand and former players at the event to see the legendary Dilip Tirkey giving away the Player of the Tournament award to Maria Grannato of Argentina.
"It is always a delight to be here in Teressa, which is known to be the home of modern hockey. I am honoured to have had the opportunity to represent Odisha and present this award. As a player, it is a special moment to get recognized as the best in the world, and handing out the award to Maria Grannato was a very emotional moment that brought back many memories of my playing days," said Dilip Tirkey.
"I am deeply touched by the warmth of the hockey lovers in Spain. It is indeed an endearing moment in my life. Like Spain, Odisha is committed to the development of hockey amongst its young players," he added.
Legendary star striker of Pakistan, Shahbaz Khan who was also present at the World Cup reminisced the glorious past of hockey shared between the nations.
Team India finished ninth at the recently-concluded FIH Hockey Women's World Cup Spain and Netherlands 2022.
The Indian team led by Savita registered two draws against England (1-1) and China (1-1) respectively and lost 3-4 to New Zealand in the Pool stage. They suffered a narrow 0-1 loss to Spain in Crossover, thus missing out on qualifying for the Quarter-Final stage of the competition.
However, the Indian team went on to beat Canada 1-1 (3-2 SO) and Japan 3-1 to finish 9th in the tournament.
In January 2023, Odisha will be hosting the FIH Hockey Men's World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.