Let’s know about the mascot of FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 – “Olly” the Turtle

A mascot is a depiction of a person, animal, or thing that is lucky or auspicious for a particular event. It promotes the event, emphasizes its significance, and lends support to it.

Hockey World Cup is one of the important sporting events thus presence of a mascot is a must for various reasons. The Hockey World Cup ranks among the largest sporting occasions of the year. The 15th edition of the competition will feature India competing in Group D alongside Spain, England, and Wales.

One could wonder, “Who is Olly?” What importance it has in relation to the major event. Let’s think about these in depth.

Olly is a representation of the critically endangered olive ridley sea turtle, which travels thousands of kilometers in the ocean. It is both the smallest and most prevalent marine turtle in the world.

In Odisha, the Olive Ridley turtle is in danger of being extinct. Every year, millions of them travel to the beaches of Rushikulya and Gahirmatha in Odisha to lay their yearly eggs. As Olly has been named the mascot, this also signifies and emphasizes the relationship between Odisha and Ridley Olive.

The Olly mascot promotes awareness for Olive Ridley while also encouraging fair play and the growth of sportsmanship from a game standpoint. “It would be a worthy commemoration of Olive Ridley turtles and our efforts to preserve their environment,” stated Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Odisha invites the globe as the Olive Ridley World Cup nesting cove.

Now, Odisha will host the Hockey World Cup in 2023 for a second time in a row, and Olly has once again been welcomed as the tournament’s mascot. This will support, empower, and serve as the tournament’s main draw. It served as the mascot for the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships hosted at the venue.