The International Hockey Federation and Hockey India announced The Steel Authority of India as the Presenting Partner for the Hero Honda FIH World Cup 2010, to be hosted by India in March 2010. The event will now be referred to as the Hero Honda FIH World Cup, presented by SAIL.
An agreement on the above was signed by Mr Leandro Negre chief of International Hockey Federation and Mr G Ojha SAIL Director (Personnel) in the presence of Union Minister for Steel.
Mr Virbhadra Singh said that it was a great pride for India to be hosting the Hockey World Cup in 2010 and for SAIL to be the presenting partner of this great event which, he hoped will revive the game in India.
He urged corporate enterprises to come forward to support and promote sporting events as well as sportspersons, so that they will not have to worry about their bread and butter.
Mr Leandro Negre said that “I take great pleasure in welcoming Steel Authority of India to our global hockey family in what is another landmark and globally important sponsorship for the sport. This event is of immense significance for Indian hockey and indeed for the game worldwide. We have placed in the tournament in India with the sincere hope that it will be a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the game here. In SAIL, hockey has a partner who shares that vision, a partner who is one of the world leaders in their field yet proudly Indian and a partner who respects this great sport we love and wants to see it come back strong. As the SAIL Chairman remarked to me “Hockey is coming home.”
Mr SK Roongta chairman of SAIL said that “At SAIL, we are very pleased to be associated with the apex event in International Hockey. SAIL has a significant legacy in hockey and actually owns and operates one of the country’s premier playing and training facilities which is equipped with astroturf, at its Rourkela Steel Plant. SAIL is also justifiably proud that Michael Kindo, one of the stars of the Indian team which won the Hockey World Cup in 1974, was on its rolls. Hockey is the National Sport of India and as a proudly patriotic and national company, we feel that partnership with this premier global event is perfect articulation of our values and global outlook and standards. As the National Sport of India, a sport which in many ways India took to the world, we believe that like our company, Hockey reaches out to every Indian.’’
