Kartikeyan Pandian says FIH honour will motivate him to contribute more to Indian sports

Odisha IAS officer V. Kartikeyan Pandian was conferred the President's Award by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) in recognition for his contribution to the promotion of hockey in Odisha.

V. Kartikeyan Pandian (centre) with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and FIH president Narinder Batra.

V. Kartikeyan Pandian — Private Secretary to Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik since 2011 — who was conferred the FIH (International Hockey Federation) President’s Award at the FIH Congress on Sunday, was an athlete during his school and college days.

“I feel really happy. I’ve always had a love for sports. It was our team that made it all possible. The award will motivate me to contribute more to Indian sports. The award, I believe, was due to the work we did for the men's [Hockey] World Cup held in Bhubaneswar in 2018. Of course, without the encouragement from our Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the award would not have been possible” said Pandian, who is also Secretary to the CM’s Transformation and Initiatives (5Ts).

 

A University champion in 800m and 1500m, Pandian was born in Madurai and finished his high school at the Neyveli Sports Hostel. He did his graduation (BSC) at the Agriculture College and Research Institute in Madurai and post-graduation at the reputed Indian Agricultural Research Institute in Delhi before clearing the IAS examination.

For his contribution towards development and promotion of hockey in #Odisha, Mr. V Karthikeyan Pandian, IAS and Private Secretary to Hon'ble @CMO_Odisha, has been accorded with the FIH Presidents Award during the #47thFIHCongress today.

Hearty Congratulations! https://t.co/9iHx4V5MTS

— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) May 22, 2021

Detailing Odisha’s contribution to sports, Pandian said Odisha is the only state in the country that has a High-Performance Centre in weightlifting, athletics, badminton, swimming and hockey, all with tie-ups with corporate sponsors.

A fitness freak, Pandian is up at 4 a.m. to pursue his rigorous fitness regimen. “His discipline, hard work, clarity of vision and never-say-die attitude are pushing Odisha towards greater heights in the field of sports,” read a note from the Chief Minister’s Office.