Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik bought the first ticket for the upcoming Intercontinental Cup football tournament to be played in Bhubaneswar from June 9-18. Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri handed over the ticket for the marquee event to the chief minister in the presence of All-India Football Federation general secretary Shaji Prabhakaran and Indian football team coach Igor Stimac.
The four-nation tournament will feature India, Lebanon, Mongolia, and Vanuatu. Lebanon will take on Vanuatu in the opening match on June 9 while India will be taking on Mongolia in their first game of the campaign.
“There is a lot of love for football among the people of Odisha. Hosting this spectacular event is another honour for us and will undoubtedly thrill the numerous football fans across the state and India. I would like to wish the teams the best of luck and encourage the fans to turn out in huge numbers to watch the top-quality football that will unfold,” Patnaik said.
Odisha, which recently hosted successfully the FIH Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, has also been emerging as major hub for football. The state hosted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, SAFF U-20 Championship 2022, ISL seasons, IWL 2021-22, and the Odisha Women’s League, thus providing a huge boost to the development of football ecosystem in the state.
The capital city of Bhubaneswar, which is also the base of the Indian U-16 and U-19 teams, has been frequently hosting camps and training sessions in partnership with AIFF at the state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The state-partnered Odisha FC recently brought home the coveted Super Cup title. The partnership with the club has enabled the state to build a robust grassroots system.
Odisha is the only state that has two teams competing in the Indian Women’s League (IWL).