Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that hockey be officially declared as the national game seems to have triggered a controversy with Union minister for youth affairs and sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore asserting that no official declaration was required to accord the sport such status.

"For loving sports and hockey, we do not need official proclamation. (Like) now (that) it is (our) national sport so let us start loving it. Even in terms of facilities, hockey is one of the priority sports of our country," the minister told a news agency on Thursday. He added that he would leave it to the people to decide whether they wanted it to be declared a national sport officially or they would continue to love it even if it remains unofficial. He was reacting to the Naveen's letter to Modi in which the chief minister made a strong pitch to declare hockey as India's national game. Naveen's plea comes in the backdrop of the state capital hosting the Men's Hockey World Cup in November.

Naveen's in his missive to Modi had referred to his shock at discovering that though hockey was popularly known as India's national game, it had never actually been notified as such. "Hence, I am sure you will agree with the crores of hockey loving fans of our country - that Hockey truly deserves to be notified as our national game. This will be fitting tribute to the great hockey players who have made our country proud. It will also inspire our future generations," Naveen wrote.

Unfazed by Rathore's comments on the status demand, Naveen said: "I was surprised like all of you to see that hockey is not being declared a national game. I have taken up the matter with the Prime Minister and asked for his support. To have hockey declared as a national sport would be a fitting tribute to the hockey players who have brought so much glory to our nation."