BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s good run with international sporting events continues. The latest on the calendar is Asian Women Rugby Championships proposed to be held at Kalinga Stadium here next year.
A five-member delegation of the World Rugby, the international rugby body, met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here on Monday. Headed by its Service Manager (Asia) Ridzal Saat, the team proposed to hold the Asian women’s meet in the City and was assured all assistance by the Chief Minister.
Naveen took to Twitter and said: “Glad to meet @WorldRugby @AsiaRugby & @RugbyIndia delegation. Invited them to host international tournament in #Odisha & assured all support,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site.
The World Rugby team visited Kalinga Stadium where the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships was conducted and complimented the infrastructure. “It is a very well organised stadium with almost all facilities available for hosting a rugby event. The Chief Minister has also assured us to extend the necessary support to host the international meet here,” Ridzal said. He also praised the successful conduct of the Asian Athletics meet in the City which has become an international venue for hockey and athletics events.
Ridzal lauded the phenomenal growth of rugby in India as well as in Odisha and said the State women’s team has not only dominated national rugby but is producing many international players. For the development of the sports, the delegation suggested that an international standard rugby ground be created for day-to-day practice.
After successfully hosting the 22nd Asian Athletics meet, the State Government is bracing up to host the World Hockey League final at Kalinga Stadium, in November. Next on the sporting calendar is the Hockey World Cup in 2018.Among others, coordinator of Get Into Rugby Asia Benjamin Van Rooyen, Asia Rugby vice-president Aga Hussain, Rugby India general secretary Mahesh Mathai, treasurer Saurav Chatterjee and Odisha Rugby Football Association (ORFA) president Priyadarshi Mishra, also Bhubaneswar (North) MLA, were present.