BHUBANESWAR: Odisha DGP YB Khurania on Sunday unveiled the official logo and mascot ‘ASHA’ of the 73rd edition of the All-India Police Hockey Championship 2025, which is scheduled to begin at Kalinga Stadium on Monday and continue till April 15.
Inspired by the true story of an injured elephant calf which was rescued by the Forest department and is now being taken care of at the Nandankanan Zoo, the mascot ‘ASHA’ embodies resilience, compassion, and Odisha’s commitment to wildlife conservation. “ASHA is more than just a mascot, she represents Odisha’s spirit of strength and sustainability,” said Khurania.
This is the second time Odisha Police is going to host this championship. “We are honoured to once again welcome teams from across India to our soil. For the first time in the year 2019, we hosted this championship. This tournament represents discipline, teamwork, dedication and excellence values that resonate deeply with the police force,” he added.
Organised under the aegis of the All-India Police Sports Control Board, the championship marks the beginning of one of the most prestigious tournaments in the Indian Police Sporting Calendar. The men’s defending champion Punjab and women’s defending champion SSB teams are all set to retain their titles.
Around 48 matches will be played among 26 men and nine women teams from various Central Armed Police Forces including CISF, CRPF, ITBP, BSF, SSB and 21 states.
Among others, ADGP (headquarters)-cum-vice-chairman, AIPHC-2025, Dayal Gangwar, ADGP (SAP)-cum-vice-chairman, AIPHC-2025, Rajesh Kumar, IGP (Trg)-cum-organising secretary, AIPHC-2025, Anup Kumar Sahoo, team managers and captains, observer from All India Police Sports Control Board and officers of the Odisha Police were present.