BHUBANESWAR: As the balmy evening settled down here on Wednesday, the Kalinga Hockey Stadium was majestically standing in all its splendour. Thousands of school children, hundreds of hockey buffs, the India men’s hockey team players and support staff and officials of various hues thronged the stadium. The occasion was dubbed momentous.
As the clock struck six, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stepped on to the gleaming blue turf amid a huge roar that reverberated through the vast expanse of the Complex. After some rituals, the Chief Minister finally announced those magical words — the Men’s Hockey World Cup will be held in Odisha again, in 2023. Only difference this time, it will be shared between Odisha’s capital Bhubaneswar and its hockey cradle Rourkela.
International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Narinder Batra waxed eloquent while talking about hockey in the state. The FIH had already announced earlier in November that the hockey World Cup would be held in India but the venue was not yet announced.
Batra said in the end the ability of Odisha to host such marquee events had clinched the deal. “On behalf of FIH, I would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the government of Odisha and Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha Shri Naveen Patnaik in particular for their great and permanent support to hockey over the years. This really is remarkable and contributes to grow our sport not only in India but in the world also. Our thanks also go to Hockey India for their dedication and efforts to put together an unforgettable event.”
Vishal Kumar Dev, the secretary of sports & youth services of the state, said Odisha has set a new standard of hosting different international events. “We are proud that again the state is going to host another hockey World Cup in 2023. In Rourkela, we have a hockey stadium with 10,000 capacity and have a practice ground in Panpose. By hosting the World Cup there, it will boost the morale of the young budding talents of the Sundargarh district, the cradle of Odisha hockey.”
Batra summed up the way Odisha managed to get the matches. “When we have decided to host the Hockey World Cup 2023 in India, we had two venues in our mind... Delhi and Odisha. In view of hosting elite tournament like World Cups or Olympic events, you must have a perfect international infrastructure and favourable climatic conditions. Odisha is the perfect destination to host the event.”