Odisha hockey Olympian Dilip Tirkey was appointed as the Chairperson of Odisha Hockey Promotion Council today. His name was among various BJD leaders Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved for several state PSUs and government departments.

These appointments, however, are being seen as a step to rehabilitate party leaders, many of whom were earlier denied party tickets to contest in 2019 elections. Surprisingly, Tirkey was appointed chairperson of a body, which is yet to come into existence.

On the other hand, he was replaced by Srimayee Mishra of Bolangir as the Chairperson of Odisha Tourism Development Corporation, where the hockey legend functioned from 18 May, 2018.

But Tirkey, who received Arjuna Award in 2002 and Padma Shree in 2004, was politicaly not so active in recent times. He was also absent at Kalinga Stadium, where the Chief Minister launced the Naval Tata Hockey Academy earlier this month.

Tirkey earlier functioned as BJD Rajya Sabha Member from 22 March, 2012 to 2 April, 2018. He later resigned from his post to contest Lok Sabha election as a BJD candidate from Sundargarh constituency, but ended up losing to BJP candidate Jewel Oram on 16 May, 2014.