Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are being renovated in preparation for the FIH Men’s World Cup.
Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are being renovate: With less than five months to go until the start of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, 2023, hockey fans all over the world are looking forward to Odisha, which will be the site of the massive sporting event. Odisha is not only hosting the World Cup, but it is also sponsoring the men’s and women’s national hockey teams. The state is doing everything possible to make the event even more memorable than the last World Cup, which was also held here.
The Hockey World Cup
From January 13 to January 29, 2023, the Hockey World Cup will be held in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar. Several players, coaches, and FIH officials have said that the hockey stadium in Bhubaneswar’s famous Kalinga Sports Complex, where the last World Cup was held, is wonderful. The 2023 World Cup games will also be held at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Sundargarh, in addition to the Kalinga Stadium.
Hockey in India – The Epicenter
People say that the Sundergarh district is the heart of hockey in India because it has produced many international hockey players, including former captains Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, and Prabodh Tirkey on the men’s team and Subhadra Pradhan and Jyoti Sunita Kulu on the women’s team.
It has also given the world more than 60 international hockey players, including Lazarus Barla, William Xalco, Birendra Lakra, and Sunita Lakra, all of whom have played in the Olympics. In addition, Deep Grace Ekka (women’s team), Amit Rohidas, and Birendra Lakra, all from Sundergarh, made it to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
The Stadium
Naveen Patnaik decided to build the country’s largest hockey stadium after Odisha was chosen by the international hockey federation (FIH) to host its flagship event for the second time in a row. He did this because he saw how talented the people of Odisha were. A practice pitch is also being built close to the main stadium, which will have room for 20,000 people.
On the other hand, work is also being done to improve Kalinga Stadium. For the next World Cup, a brand-new field has just been put down.
In addition to the stadiums, the state has planned a lot of infrastructure and beautification projects in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela to make the World Cup a good time for hockey players, sports fans, and other visitors. For example, the state government is trying to get the Rourkela airstrip up and running before the event. In the steel city, roads that connect to each other are also being improved.
Odisha’s Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik, has already shown off the official logo for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
The Committee
Recently, the FIH and the Hockey India Committee of Administrators (CoA) met in New Delhi. At the meeting, both groups liked what was being done to prepare for the tournament. Accordingly, they said that the official World Cup 2023 draw would be made on September 8, 2022, in Bhubaneswar.Odisha sports secretary R. Vineel Krishna said, “We are eagerly looking forward to hosting the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. While Kalinga Stadium is match ready with two new pitches laid (main and practice), Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will be ready in the coming months. Rourkela too is going through massive development to welcome the participating teams.”