Impressed by the spirited performance of the Indian women's hockey team in the Tokyo Olympics, chief minister Hemant Soren on Friday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh each to Salima Tete and Nikki Pradhan, two players from the state who were part of the squad.

Announcing his appreciation on Twitter, he also said that the state government would also rebuild/ refurbish their houses with concrete (pucca).

"Even though our women hockey team missed out from winning bronze, they displayed an exceptional game during the Olympics. Our players (from Jharkhand) in the team also exhibited excellent performance. The state government has decided to give them Rs 50 lakh each and make their houses concrete (pucca) as a token of appreciation," Hemant's Hindi Tweet read in translation.

Salima is from Simdega district, considered and the hockey nursery of Jharkhand. She is the third hockey player and the first woman from the district to have represented the country in the Olympics. In the past, the legendary Michael Kindo and Sylvanus Dungung, both also from Simdega, took part in the 1972 and 1980 Olympic Games respectively.

For Nikki, Tokyo was her second consecutive participation in the Olympics.

Despite a valiant comeback on Friday against Great Britan during the match for the Bronze, the Indian women lost the match 3-4. However, the entire country hailed the team's efforts while putting up a spirited fight all through the tournament, especially after a poor start.

Hockey Simdega president Manoj Konbegi hailed state government's announcement. "We welcome state government's announcement for the players. A few other states have also made similar announcements for their players. The entire nation, specially Jharkhand Hockey is waiting to welcome their players back home. Yes, we missed on the Bronze, but this team and its performance will be etched in history and act as an impetus for revival of hockey among girls," he said.