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Odisha gears up to host Men's FIH Hockey World Cup

Matches will be held from Jan 13 to 29 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela

PTI12_22_2022_000354B Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik with Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other political leaders after an all-party meeting to discuss preparations for FIH Men's Hockey World Cup | PTI

Odisha is all set to host the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup in January, for the second time in a row. The state, headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has become a patron of sorts for hockey after organising the last world cup in 2018 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

The state government, which has also become a sponsorer of the game for almost 10 years, till 2031-32, will hold the 2023 world cup in two cities— Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. For the first time in the game's history, the world cup matches will be held simultaneously at two places. The matches will be held from January 13 to 29.

The 16 teams that will participate in the world cup have been divided into four groups. Team India, which has already reached Odisha on December 27, will be in 'Group D', along with England, Spain and Wales. The final will be held at Kalinga Stadium.

The Odisha government has built the world's largest hockey stadium, which can accommodate a crowd of 25,000 people, in the steel city of Rourkela. Named after tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, the stadium will be inaugurated by the chief minister before the event. Rourkela is the main city in Sundergarh, known as the “hockey hub” as the district produced some world-class players, including the current president of Hockey India Dilip Tirkey.

Besides the new stadium, the government has constructed facilities to accommodate players, support staff, and visitors from different countries. Though Rourkela has a number of good hotels, the new five-star facilities are located near the stadium.

Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera said the new accommodation can host 200-250 players and officials. As many as 20 matches will be played at Rourkela, including the inaugural match between India and Spain on January 13. The government is yet to reveal how much money was spent on constructing the new facilities, but the sports minister said Rs 75 crore was earmarked in the state budget for the world cup in the current financial year.

According to sources, additional expenses incurred for hosting the event will be spent from the Rs. 1,023.40 crore allocated for sports in the state budget.

There are reports that the stadium and accommodation facility at Rourkela may have cost more than Rs 261 crore.

At Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium, facilities were set up before the 2018 world cup. The stadium, which can accommodate 15,000 people, requires only some sprucing up. Of course, the government has tried to give new look to the main roads, adding flower beds to the footpaths in both cities. Before the world cup, a few new five-star hotels have come up in Bhubaneswar, for which the government had provided land.

The state government has invited chief ministers from all states to watch the matches. Patnaik has deputed his ministers to meet the chief ministers to personally deliver the invitation letter. Food Supply and Cooperation Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while Higher Education Minister met Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Patnaik had convened an all-party meeting to discuss preparations for the event. All party leaders, including senior BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who attended the meeting assured the CM of all support to make the world cup event a success.

Although the matches will be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, the inaugural ceremony will take place in Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. As many as 25,000 tickets and 5,000 passes have been provided for the ceremony which will be a star-studded event featuring Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh and Disha Patani. As there are fears of a Covid-19 resurgence, all precautionary measures, including the use of masks and testing in case of symptoms, will be followed during the ceremony. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur and his cabinet colleagues, besides the office bearers of the International Hockey Federation, are expected to attend the ceremony.

Team India captain Harmanpreet Singh said it playing in Odisha is a “special experience”

Coach of team India, Graham Red, said holding the world cup in Odisha helps the state to showcase its art, culture, and heritage at a global platform.

Dilip Tirkey said holding the world cup in two cities in the state is part of CM Patnaik's vision for the game.

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