Aizawl, Aug 26 (PTI) Lalremsiami, who was a member of the Indian women's hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics and the first woman Olympian from Mizoram, was on Thursday accorded state honour in appreciation of her performance.

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Chief Minister Zoramthanga speaking at the felicitation programme here hailed Lalremsiami as a source of inspiration for the youths and said her achievement will revive hockey which had lost its popularity in Mizoram.

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Zoramthanga said that Lalremsiami's achievement will encourage youths and arouse their enthusiasm to play hockey.

“Her (Lalremsiami's) achievement will revive the love and passion for hockey, which is already dead in the state. The popularity of hockey will begin to grow now in Mizoram,” he said.

The Mizoram government is making massive efforts to develop sports infrastructures in the state and will construct a hockey ground in Aizawl.

He called upon the people to abstain from drugs, alcohol and tobacco, gutkha and tuibur, a nicotine water extract of tobacco smoke produced and widely consumed in Mizoram.

Mizoram at present has only one hockey academy under Sports Authority of India (SAI) at Thenzawl in Serchhip district.

State Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte said the construction of a Rs 5.5 crore sports complex, which will also be used as a hockey academy, is in progress at Muallungthu near here.

This apart a Rs 100 crore hockey ground will also be constructed at Lunglei town in the southern part of the state and the foundation stone for it was laid on August 17, he said.

During the felicitation programme, Zoramthanga handed over Rs 15 lakh to Lalremsiami. The state had promised to give her Rs 25 lakh in appreciation of her participation and performance in the Olympics and has already paid Rs 10 lakh to her mother.

Besides, several organisations and individuals also honoured the hockey star on the occasion.

The state government has recently appointed Lalremsiami as hockey chief coach (supernumerary) and also allotted her a plot at her home town in Kolasib.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)