Hockey fever grips Jharkhand as mascot ‘Juhi’ unveiled for Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023

• Shri Hemant Soren, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, unveiled the mascot at a grand ceremony in Ranchi
• The event also marked the launch of the Trophy Tour from Ranchi; to take place between 13th October and 25th October

Khel Today Bureau 

Ranchi:Shri Hemant Soren, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, today, unveiled the mascot for the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 at the Project Bhawan in Dhurva, Ranchi, Jharkhand. The mascot, named ‘Juhi’ is inspired by the popular elephant at Betla National Park.

The event was graced by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri Hemant Soren, FIH President, Dato Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India President, Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey, Hockey India General Secretary, Shri Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Treasurer, Shri Shekhar J Manoharan.

The event also marked the launch of the Trophy Tour for the tournament. The magnificent trophy for the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 will begin the tour on Friday, 13th October 2023 from Ranchi and will travel across all the districts of the state. The trophy tour will culminate on October 25th, 2023, with the trophy returning to Ranchi, ahead of the start of the tournament.

Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jharkhand, Shri Hemant Soren, said, “As the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 is about to begin in two weeks, I am honoured to present Juhi, the official mascot for the prestigious tournament. The mascot is inspired by the inspirational story of Juhi, the elephant, that has become synonymous with the beautiful Betla National Park. Apart from carrying thousands of tourists, Juhi also served as a protector of mankind in the forest for decades and garnered a reputation for her calm nature. This is a great way to inculcate similar values in the people of our society and to create awareness among the hockey stars from all around the world about the beloved wildlife associated with our state of Jharkhand.”

Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023 is set to begin in two weeks and will take place from 27th October to 5th November. India will be competing in the tournament along with Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. Savita will lead the Indian Women’s Hockey Team as Captain, with Deep Grace Ekka as her deputy. India will open their campaign in the tournament against Thailand on Friday, 27th October 2023.

Padma Shri Dr. Dilip Tirkey, Hockey India President, who was also present at the mascot unveiling said, “We came up with the concept of the mascot keeping the culture of the public in mind. We wanted to draw attention to the wildlife present in the state of Jharkhand and develop a mascot that everyone can relate to, and want to know more about. The upcoming tournament in Ranchi is an important one for the nation as it gives a chance for Indian Women’s Hockey Team players to perform in front of the home crowd and also marks the return of international hockey back to the state.”

Hockey India Secretary General Shri Bhola Nath Singh further added, “Juhi has been an inspiration for the people of Jharkhand for many years and now she is here to serve as an inspiration for hockey stars of the world during the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Ranchi 2023. As a mascot, Juhi the elephant symbolizes the rich wildlife of the beautiful state of Jharkhand and is a representation of our cultural values.”