BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 is taking a larger than life shape by the passing day and is set to bedazzle the world in every way. And, what better start could it have than music legends no less than AR Rahman and Gulzar coming together to create the showpiece event’s official song.
Oscar and Grammy award winning music composer AR Rahman will add his magic touch to the song titled ‘Jai Hind Hind, Jai India’, lyrics of which has been penned by the celebrated lyricist-poet Gulzar.
Announcing the collaboration, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Rahman himself would perform the song live on stage during the opening ceremony of the World Cup on November 27 at Kalinga Stadium. “We are delighted to have AR Rahman compose the song for the Odisha Hockey World Cup. It will be an honour to have him perform live in Bhubaneswar. He is the voice of India and now with this song, the voice of India is the voice of the World Cup”, the CM stated.
“We are also fortunate to have Gulzar Sahab add his poetic magic to the composition. Coming together of these two legends will not only inspire the players but will also get the entire nation together to support this wonderful game unfolding in Odisha,” the CM added.
The song will be released ahead of the World Cup around the first week of October.Rahman, who is also lending his voice to the song, expressed his excitement over the venture stating, “It’s heart-warming to see the entire nation pledge their heartbeats for hockey. As an extension of pledging our heartbeats, Gulzar Sahab and I have created the World Cup song.”
“It will excite and inspire, as also get you on your feet. Join me in this celebration of hockey of not just our men in blue but the spirit of the game, the spirit of universal oneness,” he added.The Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 will be the biggest tournament in Men’s Hockey in both form and spirit. Sixteen teams will take part in the tournament from November 28 to December 16.